Symbiosis
by wheredidtheygo
Summary: Sara Clement is struggling though her senior year of high school, until she meets her new tutor, Tegan Quin. Quincest.
1. Text Books and Music

**A/N:** So here's the first chapter of the high school story! I've had this story in mind/somewhat started since like May, and I figured it was about time to actually start because I really enjoy the whole plot I have planned out. I wrote most of it at work today (how awesome is that? I basically got paid to write quincest!) Anywho, I'm still going to work on Side Effects, but this may be update more for a little while. Review as you please, I always love reading your guys' reactions, thoughts, advice, whatever and it always give me more motivation to write more! Thanks! Enjoy! :)

Oh! As for the title, the word 'symbiosis' means; a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or group.

* * *

**Sara's POV**

Every Monday and Wednesday at one o'clock I find myself in the same room. It's a relatively depressing room; no windows, barely any color, and filled with the most annoying people in the school. Or more commonly known as the tutoring room. Today I find myself, yet again, getting a new tutor. I don't know who it is, but I've been told she's my last option and if I don't get my grades up soon, I'll be sent to one of those alternative high schools. One would think that the prospect of being forced to attend one of those schools would scare me into doing my homework, but nope, I just can't find it in myself to care even though I'm probably smarter than most of the kids at this high school.

I flip my notebook to a new page, letting pencil meet paper in a way that is much more entertaining than algebraic equations. I scrawl out a few lines of words and hear the door creak I open. I glance up to see the cutest girl I've ever laid my eyes on. Her chocolate brown hair just barely meets her shoulders, her honey colored eyes are surrounded by long eyelashes, and she has the most adorable button nose. Unfortunately, she's wearing light denim jeans and a green and blue plaid sweater, or in other words; a goody-goody prep. So, not my type. I roll my eyes, wondering how I manage to mingle with such prim and proper stuck up people five days out of the week, and return my focus back to my notebook.

Seconds later, I feel her presence and peek up to see her hovering over me, picking at her nails nervously.

"Yes?" I ask, annoyed by her already even if her soft, anxious features betray her stereotype.

"Are you Sara?" She makes eye contact for a brief moment then quickly looks back to her nails.

"Yeah. And you are...?"

"Tegan. Tegan Quin. Your new tutor?" She says it as more of a question, and it finally clicks as to why this girl is talking to me.

"Oh. I was not expecting you to be a girl." I scoot my chair over so there's room for her to pull a chair up.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you?" She laughs awkwardly and sits down on one of the blue plastic chairs, resting her backpack up against it gently. She unzips it and pulls out a red notebook and pencil, opening it to a blank page.

"Please, I'd much rather sit next to you than some boy, at least you smell good." I say, perhaps a little more flirtatiously than I intend to.

Her eyes go wide as she looks down to her notebook and the muscles in her neck visibly move as she swallows. She blinks slowly and regains her composure by sitting up straight and squaring her shoulders. She links her fingers together and looks to me, "So you've been struggling with math and science, right?"

"Hmm, nope." I shake my head with a smile. _I might as well mess with her while I have the chance_, I think.

"Oh." She turns back to her backpack, and rummages through a folder. Her long hair falls into her tilted face and she quickly tucks it behind her ear, red with embarrassment, before resuming her task. She pops her head back up with a white piece of paper in hand. "You're Sara Clement, right?"

"Uh-huh," I nod.

"Well it says your problem areas are math and science." She points to some blue ink written on the paper explaining to her what I need help with. I see a spot for additional comments and grab Tegan's hand, sliding it across the table away from the paper so I can read what it says.

_Please note: Student is stubborn and difficult to work with._

I raise my eyebrows and chuckle, moving Tegan's hand back to where it was resting. My fingers graze across her soft knuckles as I pull my hand away.

** Tegan's POV**

I try to will the goosebumps away as Sara innocently touches my hand. It's not the first time this has happened whenever someone of my own gender has touched me, even if it's just an accidental brush of the shoulders in the narrow hallway, but it has never been this hard to suppress it.

I glance up and she's peering at me with her golden brown eyes through her shaggy dark brown bangs. She smiles just barely and slides her math book noisily across the table in front of me and waits. I sigh and open the book to the latest assignment, already knowing we have the same class and teacher, just during different periods.

"If you aren't having problems, why are you here? Why am _I _here?" I ask bluntly. To be honest, I didn't really have the energy to tutor someone who didn't want the help even if it was during school hours, earned me volunteer hours, and would look great on Ivy League university applications.

"Because I like to spend my time doing other things besides homework," she grins and twirls her mechanical pencil between her fingers. Seconds later, it flies from her fingers and lands about five feet away, right in front of the teacher's desk. "Whoopsie," she chuckles slightly and scoots her chair back, standing up to fetch the small piece of plastic. The teachers glares at her over her glasses as Sara bends down. Her shirt rises as does she so, revealing the bright orange underwear she has on, hidden now only partially by her baggy skinny jeans. I tilt my head and watch her, feeling something similar to the goosebumps only in a place I have felt only a few times before. She stand back up, pencil in hand, and turns around. She fixes her shirt, pulling it down and smoothing the creases. I immediately recognize the redhead printed on her shirt. She plops back down in her seat and looks at me expectantly.

"You like Florence and The Machine?" I motion to her shirt and she looks down, smiling, smoothing out more creases.

"Like is a huge understatement," she laughs and looks back up to me. "I'm surprised you know who they are. I pegged you as more of the Taylor Swift, One Direction kind of girl."

I smile and shake my head, I wouldn't be caught dead listening to that kind of music.

"What's your favorite song?" I ask curiously.

She tilts her head back and groans dramatically, causing other students nearby to stare. She then starts to laugh quietly. "All of them?!"

I laugh with her and agree.

"But seriously?" Her laughter dies down a little bit but the twinkle remains in her eye. "Probably Only If For A Night, if I had to choose."

I nod, "I like that one. She wrote it about her grandma, didn't she?"

"Yeah," Sara glances down and picks at her short nails, then changes the subject, returning her focus back to her text book. "I don't want to get you in trouble so..."

"Oh right. Math." I mutter.

She looks to the clock on the wall and sighs, opening her notebook to a clean page. She scans over the assignment quickly then scrawls out each problem and correct answer in minutes. When she's finished she slams her books shut with a thud.

"Wow, how did you do that?" I ask, astonished. I was in the top five percent of our class of about five hundred and there was no way I could have worked that fast.

"I used my noodle," she taps the side of her head with her pencil, donning a smirk. "So.. what's _your_ favorite song?"

**Sara's POV**

"So what's _your_ favorite song?" I lean back in my chair and ask. None of my friends were into Florence and The Machine, they claimed it sounded too 'churchy', and it intrigued me that this girl not only knew, but liked this band. Maybe tutoring wouldn't be so bad this time around.

"Hmm," she rubs her lips together and looks to the ceiling, pondering. "I'm gonna go with Rabbit Heart."

I smile, imagining her dancing to that song in her underwear like a faerie, alone in her room. A suppressed chuckle escapes my throat and Tegan looks at me curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" She asks, the corners of her lips curling up slightly.

"Nothing, I just like that song too. Definitely in my top ten." I say cooly, regaining my composure.

Her lips see their task to completion, and she smiles wide while looking down, playing with the sleeve of her sweater.

_God, she really is too cute._ Her hair looks so soft and each time it falls from behind her ear when she tilts her head forward, I want to tuck it back in place for her. _No Sara, stop it,_ I scold myself. _First of all, this girl is disgustingly straight. Just because she happens to like one band you love doesn't mean anything. Just look at her, you belong in different worlds so just stop before you let it get out of hand._

"Sara?" I hear a voice distract me away from my pessimistic thoughts. I blink and see Tegan still sitting in her chair, but now completely facing me with her backpack on. "The bell rang...?" she continues.

"Oh," I mouth and then blush from embarrassment. "Uhm, well thanks for today."

"Oh, I didn't... if anything I just distracted you," she chuckles and scratches the back of her head awkwardly.

"I got my work done, didn't I?"

"Yeah but not because of me. You don't need a tutor, you're smart, Sara," she smiles and stands up, adjusting the straps on her backpack.

I take a deep breath, hoping I'm not about to regret what I'm about to say. "Thanks, but I definitely think I do. I'll see you Wednesday?"

She laughs and heads towards the door, "Sure."

I smile and follow behind her, spotting a silver cross keychain dangling from her backpack. _Oh, great. _I shake the negative feeling from my mind, and remind myself of the golden cross hanging from my own neck that had nothing to do with my being religious, or even religion at all. Perhaps hers had a different meaning as well.

"Bye Tegan," I call to her as she turns the opposite direction down the hall.

She turns around and flashes me a geeky smile, exposing her top gums and waves before turning back around. My heart flutters and already I'm impatient for Wednesday to arrive.

** Tegan's POV**

I didn't know why, but I spent the rest of Monday and Tuesday waiting anxiously for Wednesday, and it's finally here. I beat Sara to the tutoring room and sit down at the same table as last time. Impatiently watch ing the door out of the corner of my eye, I am constantly keeping an eye out for her outgrown pixie cut that hung sheepishly in her eyes. A minute later she comes bouncing in on her heels with a huge smile on her face.

_Was that meant for me?_

She sits down and hurriedly unzips her backpack, pulling out a green CD case. "Hey, what's up? Here, I made this for you," she says breathlessly and hands the case to me. I flip it over and see a silver, burned disc with Florence written on the top and underneath that a long list of songs.

"The first five or so are from a band she used to be in and the others are demos or just older songs. I thought you might like listen to them," she points to one of the songs, her hand resting on mine gently. "I don't know what you're into, but this is one of my favorites."

"This is awesome, thanks, but you really didn't have to." I smile shyly and look at our hands still touching. Her fingers are long and delicate, but still strong looking.

"I know but I wanted to. Everyone should have the chance to listen to every song that angelic voice sings. Besides, you're the first person I've found that likes her, I can't let you go." She giggles and pulls her hand away to dig her textbook and notebook out. I shove the CD into my own bag and wait for Sara, partially hoping she'll do her work at lightening speed like last time so se can just talk for the rest of the period.

She flips her notebook open to a page filled with writing and drops it in front of me. "I actually did this all last night. My dad was concerned I was actually doing homework and wouldn't stop teasing me about it. It's your fault, I hope you know." she gives me a crooked smile, her eyes shining playfully.

I chuckle and roll my eyes, reaching for her book to check all of her answers. I'm on the second to last answer, reading through the short paragraph, when a small strip of folded paper lands in front of me and blocks the words. I roll my eyes again and pick it up, unfolding it.

_Hey Tegan_

_8214367751 _

_- Sara :)_

I smile and face her, "What's this?"

"My phone number. In a week or two, my teachers will figure out my grades have improved and you won't have to tutor me anymore but I think we should maybe hang out sometime and listen to music or something, if you want, of course"

** Sara's POV**

I knew it was a bold move, but what did I have to lose? If worst came to worst, Tegan would tell me no, and that would be that. We've been going to the same high school for almost three years and had never known each other, so it wouldn't be a big deal. If anything, I was just hoping to make a friend outside of my usual friend group, which pretty much only included weird art kids or stoners.

She flips my notebook to a new page and I watch her curiously. She scribbles out her own number and a smiley face then rips it out, folding it and handing it to me. I grin and place it in the pocket in my backpack that holds my phone. "Do you have texting?"

"Yep," she replies then hands my notebook back. "Your answers look good, by the way. Why don't you put more effort into your schoolwork, Sara? I've only been around you for like two hours but I know you're really intelligent."

I pick up my pencil, tapping it against the table at a fast pace. None of my friends ever picked up on just how brainy I was, they mostly thought I was a burnout just like them, but Tegan picked up on it so fast. Then again, I had never done an entire calculus assignment within minutes in front of them before.

"There are other things I do that hold more importance to me than silly things I might learn in school."

"Like what?" She rests her chin in her palm and stares into my eyes, genuinely interested.

"Just ...things," I shrug.

She nods slowly and purses her lips, looking a little offended, then looks to the clock, noticing only a minute is left before the bell rings.

"You should listen to that CD tonight and let me know what you think?" I suggest, pushing my chair in and throwing my backpack onto my shoulders.

"Yeah, totally." Tegan flashes her perfect pearly whites and picks up her own bag.

I walk backwards towards the door, looking her up and down. Today she's wearing a pair of skinny khakis and a purple and green polo shirt. She looks cute, painfully cute, and the way the fabric accentuates her curves, stretching tightly over her thighs... _ugh_. I chuckle, thinking about us hanging out outside of school, her being next to me in my overly distressed skinny jeans and two sizes too big shirts usually paired with a hoodie and worn out red Chucks.

"Well I'll see you later Tegan," I wink, snapping my fingers and pointing them at her like they're guns.

She laughs joyfully, her nose scrunching and her eyes creasing as she follows me to the door. My chest expands with a happiness I haven't felt in God knows how long.

As I reach the door, I face forward and head to my locker, resting my forehead against the top shelf after I quickly turn the combination. I take a deep breath and try to get the stupid grin off my face before I have to head to my next class.


	2. Churches and Cemeteries

**A/N: **Thank you all for the reviews on the first chapter! This one is a bit Sara heavy, but hopefully that will just make you fall in love with her character even more. :) Enjoy, and I look forward to reading all of your reactions!

Also, just a little bit of information. They aren't related at all, they're in their senior year of high school, Tegan is 18 and an only child, Sara is still 17 yet, and has an older sister named Casey who's off in college.

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**Sara's POV**

The cafeteria at Crescent Heights High School was split into two parts. There was the normal section, which looked like any other high school cafeteria, then was the other section, where I sat, that also doubled as a small stage. They were part of the same room, of course, but no doubt separated. I didn't mind sitting apart from a good amount of the student body, especially since I sat with a whole table full of friends, who are currently talking about a big rave they want to sneak into this weekend. Normally I would be just as excited and be planning where to meet up with everyone, but I had been preoccupied with other thoughts this week.

I scan the lower part of the cafeteria, each long, white table filled with students. After a minute, I finally spot her sitting with her friends. She's the only one at her table with a lunch bag and little clear plastic containers filled with food that is sure to be healthier than what they serve here. I smile and look down to my own paper bag filled with goldfish crackers and other unhealthy snacks, also the only one at my table with a lunch from home. I look back to Tegan and see her laughing at one of her equally preppy friends. Her eyes catch mine and she smiles that same gummy smile she flashed me on Monday, after our first tutoring session.

I stick my hand up and give her a small, subtle wave, thinking about how much we have talked since she texted me after listening to the CD I gave her. She said she loved every song, and that her favorite one, was also mine.

My friend Stacy nudges me in the side with her elbow and I look away from Tegan, now looking back to her friends and munching on a baby carrot.

"Huh?" I turn to Stacy, wearing a stupid smirk on her face.

I roll my eyes at her and shove a handful of my goldfish crackers into my mouth. Typical Stacy. We have been best friends since grade school and when she came out as bisexual during our sophomore year, we had always had a little bit of chemistry. We never officially dated but there had been a few sleepovers that resulted in us making out somewhere secluded, away from our other friends. Those same friends always urged us to date, and even though I loved her to death and her long wavy brown drew out her sharp features, she just wasn't what I wanted romantically, and she made sure to make a big deal whenever I did happen to show interest in someone.

"Who is she?" She questions, watching Tegan.

"My tutor," I blush and she chuckles.

"So _that's _your type, hey?" She teases and shovels some mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"What?" I pout, resting my elbow on the table and my chin in my palm, wondering what was wrong with my attraction towards her. "She's so adorable and loves Florence and The Machine just as much as I do."

"Wow, your dream woman," Stacy laughs. "Is she gay?" she continues to eye Tegan.

I shrug, "She doesn't look like it, but who knows. I'll probably cry if she isn't though."

Stacy chuckles then squints her eyes, still inspecting Tegan. "Wait. What did you say her name was again?"

"I didn't, but it's Tegan Quin." I eye her suspiciously. Did she know something?

"Oh! Isn't she like the star of the hockey team? That's a good sign she plays on the same team as you!" She giggles, covering her mouth.

"Uhm, I don't know if she is? That would be kind of hot though," I look back to Tegan, picturing her in her entire uniform, looking tough, and then her in just her oversized red and navy jersey looking innocent yet sexy all at the same time.

"You might want to pick your jaw up from the floor before you drown the school with your drool," Stacy snorts as the bell rings. My face goes multiple shades of crimson and I elbow her in the side before picking up my trash and throwing it away, heading off to trudge my way through the rest of the day in a haze, picturing Tegan in only that silky jersey...

**Tegan's POV**

"For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." The words ring out through the church, echoing into the high beamed ceilings graced with intricate stained glass windows. The entire congregation raises their heads and unclasps their hands as one. Father Jared blesses us one last time and we rise, smoothing out our Sunday dresses and suits before crossing ourselves at the end of the pew.

I follow silently behind my parents, my short heels clacking against the hardwood floor. Thoughts run through my mind about today's sermon, feeling like it was no coincidence that it happened to be about homosexuality, and same sex marriage and how recently it was all over the news, both the positive and negative aspects. Father dwelled on the negative more, or I suppose the positive in the Church's case, and how the tragic ending to some people's lives over their "sinful" lifestyles was just God's will. I didn't agree with his, or my parents, opinions on most things but I was their child, what choice did I have but to do as they asked?

"Good morning, Tegan." Father greets me after briefly talking to my parents by the doors exiting out of the church, crossing himself and bowing his head.

I repeat his actions, "Good morning, Father Jared."

"I can expect to see you at Bible Study this Thursday night, correct?" He clasps his hands together and smiles down at me warmly.

I think about all the homework, practice, and university research I have to do this week but nod and smile anyway. "Of course."

"Marvelous. Have a safe and God filled week, Tegan. Peace be with you." He dismisses me, turning to the person in line behind me.

"And also with you," I say quickly before catching back up to my parents and follow them to the car for the short drive to the same diner we go to every Sunday after church for brunch.

I order the same thing every time, a short stack of blueberry pancakes and a small bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal. I tried to order the chocolate chip pancakes with ice cream once, but my mum was having none of that and forced me to order something healthier. You would be surprised over the things I would do to just divulge in something like a banana split, or even just an Oreo cookie, but my Mum has me on a strict diet so I can be at the top of my game, in everything.

While we're waiting for our food to come, two young men, probably in their mid twenties, come walking in with their hands linked together. I watch as my father's face turns into a scowl while he watches them and then he scoffs. "People like that shouldn't be allowed in public."

"Dad, not so loud." I whisper, pleadingly.

"What? Don't tell me you believe people like that are even close to normal." He folds his arms and leans back in his seat, narrowing his eyes. I glance to my Mum, hoping she'll surprise me and come to my rescue, but she just looks at me with the same face as my dad.

"Just because you don't agree with them doesn't mean you have to say anything. They're just people like us." I say gently, praying my answer isn't too offensive for him.

"People?! They're abominations! It's disgusting. I thought I taught you to know better than that, Tegan." He spits, scolding me with his words.

"Sorry, Dad." I sigh, looking down and distracting myself with a loose string on the hem of my dress until our food comes.

I immediately go for the maple syrup once my pancakes are placed in front of me, delighted to finally have some sugar, and start pouring a hefty amount on top.

"Tegan Rain! Are you trying to give yourself a cavity? Your father didn't pay thousands of dollars for you to have nice teeth only for you to go and ruin them! And think about all that extra sugar and calories!" My mum berates me, grabbing the syrup out of my hands and setting it on the table, out of my reach.

"Sorry, Mum." I grumble, feeling like a broken record.

I could never seem to please my parents. I got straight A's in school, participated in clubs, was captain of the hockey team, volunteered, did my chores, never partied or snuck out, but it never seemed to be enough. I didn't mind doing all of those things, but somedays I just wanted to hang out with my friends and relax, not having to worry about anything.

The bill comes and my dad hands me his card, telling me to go pay for it. I get in line and wait patiently, feeling a tap on my shoulder and a questioning, girly voice behind me after a minute of waiting.

"Tegan?"

I turn around and see Sara standing behind me, smiling, wearing her usual skinny jeans and hoodie.

"Sara, hi. What are you doing here?" I ask stupidly, and feel my ears grow warm from embarrassment. This was a public diner, obviously she was here for food. For as intelligent as I was, I felt like I could be so stupid sometimes.

"I was hungry." She laughs, motioning to the boxes in her hands.

I laugh along with her awkwardly, still feeling like a fool for asking such a stupid question.

"Cute dress," she pushes her sunglasses up, making her bangs stick up every which way, checking out the dark blue, simple nautical style dress with a lace collar fitted snugly to my body, partially covered by a soft, cream colored cardigan. "That color looks nice on you."

"Thanks," I blush, fiddling with the receipt and debit card in my hands. "So.. uhm, you really like pie, huh?" I point to the five homemade pies, already in to-go containers, stacked in her arms.

"What? Oh, no. I just know a lot of people that do." She chuckles and shifts her weight, straightening the pies back out.

"I see." I nod, raising my eyebrows and urging her to elaborate.

"You're up." She nods her head toward the awaiting cashier, deflecting my question.

"Huh? Oh, right." I whip my head around and smile at the girl, dressed in her green apron uniform and back to Sara. "Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school. Maybe I'll actually help you learn something."

"I look forward to it." She laughs, and pushes her sunglasses back down, shielding her sparkling eyes from me.

**Sara's POV**

I watch Tegan interact with the cashier until it is my turn to check out. She looks so cute and sweet in that dress, and it stirred something inside me knowing she would go from wearing something girly like that to a badass full on hockey uniform, _if_ Stacy was right about her being on the team. I'll have to make sure to ask her about it tomorrow during tutoring.

She smiles at me as she walks back to her booth in the back of the restaurant. She slides onto a bench and I try to peek to see who she's with. Her parents? Her boyfriend?

The cashier clears her throat, and I give up, placing the pies on the counter for her to ring up and handing her cash. She places them in a big plastic bag and once outside, I carefully situate them in the basket of my Grandma's old red bike. I put my headphones in place, crank up the volume, and hop on my bike, peddling away.

I pull up to Harvest Gold Manor and park my bike in the rickety old bike rack, not bothering to lock it, and hoist the pies out, carrying them inside. My coworker, Jen, spots me and quickly runs over, helping me carry the pies into the kitchen.

"You didn't pay for all of these out of your own pocket, did you?" She asks, wide eyed.

"It's fine," I chuckle, placing the pies into the huge refrigerator. "There was a special going on and I know how much of a treat it is for the residents."

"You're a sweetheart Sara, I hope you know that." She pats my shoulder, smiling a smile that causes the wrinkles on her face to become even more pronounced, and walks away to resume her previous task.

I smile to myself and shove my backpack into my little cubby and clip my name tag onto my hoodie and begin my rounds to my designated rooms, helping the residents getting around, eating, cleaning, or just hanging out with them.

At the end of my shift, I hop back on my bike and pedal to the cemetery just a mile away from the nursing home and lock my bike up to the tall chain link fence. Over the past three years, I've grown accustomed to this cemetery, but now that the days were getting shorter and the fog was thick, it sent a shiver deep through my body.

Expertly, I weave my around the tombstones, knowing I could find the correct one even with my eyes shut. I dropped my backpack and sat down in front of my Grandma's grave and began my usual process. I always brushed the dirt off the stone first, so I could clearly read her name, then removed any of the dead leaves or flowers that had fallen around it, and straightened out the small decorations and plant pots my family had set in front. I knew it was a silly ritual, but I knew it would bother her if it looked messy.

"Hi Grams, I love you and miss you." I greet her grave the same way I do each time I come here, at least once a week to get things off my mind. It was probably silly that I not only treated her grave like she could actually see it, but that I also talked to her like she was still here, still alive.

"Your friends at the nursing home were talking about you today and how you always used to cheat during poker night and bingo night. I guess that's how you were able to leave me such a generous college fund," I laugh to myself. "It was pretty entertaining though to see their impressions of you trying to play innocent, and to just hear their fond memories of you. Mum and Dad are doing fine, working and just being their usual selves, I guess. I haven't talked to or seen Casey in a while, so I'm not sure what's up with her, but being the perfect daughter she always was, I'm sure she's just fine. Uhm.." I pause, trying to think if there was anything important that had happened with my parents or sister but I can't think of anything, so I continue on with what I really came here to talk about. "I got a new tutor at school this week. I know, I know. I don't need one but I can't bring myself to care about school. She seems really cool though, her name is Tegan. Weird name, huh? We ended up talking about this band we both love. I made her a mixed CD, and she said she really liked it. She's cute too, Grandma. But I know not to get my hopes up, she's definitely not gay, but I'm hoping we'll at least be good friends. Otherwise, nothing much has been going on. I hope you're in peace, where ever you may be. I'll come back in a few days to replace your flowers."

I stand up and brush the dirt off my pants, then bend down to lightly peck the stone, and the cross necklace around my neck that used to belong to her, and whisper my goodbyes. I walk out of the cemetery and back to my bike, heading towards my other safe haven; the old dock by the lake near my house.

I reach into my backpack, pulling out a little baggie and glass pipe. I pack a small bowl as my feet dangle over the water. Laying back, I flick the lighter and inhale my first hit. Always the best. My mind involuntarily wanders as the natural drug takes its effect. Slowly my thoughts are led to those of Tegan.

How intimidated she was by me at first then eventually came to relax as we talked about music. The way she would end her texts at night with a smiley face and "Sweet Dreams!" if we had managed to text that long. How pretty she looked in her dress this morning, and how awkward she acted. And I just couldn't stop thinking about that smile...

Stop it, Sara, I scold myself yet again. There was no way I was going to let myself get googoo over a girl I didn't even know.

But that smile...


	3. Sleepovers and Sugar

** Tegan's POV**

I was nervous. Really nervous. It was Christmas break and I was going to Sara's for a sleepover, with just the two of us. I only became her tutor a few weeks ago so we really don't know each other all that well and it's the first time I've spent the night somewhere since summer because I've been too busy otherwise. But even with the nerves, I am still finding myself really excited. She's kind of a dorky outcast, but hilarious and what I really like is that we share the same interests music wise and she knows all about these really cool, different bands.

It's snowing lightly out, the small white flakes hitting my windshield as I drive to her house. It's not enough to make it hard to see the slippery snow covered road but I'm still on edge. I was still getting used to the old, green Chevrolet truck my dad bought for me. My mum urged him to just buy me a brand new car since we could easily afford it, with him being a very successful lawyer and all, but he insisted I didn't need one at this age and I could earn the money on my own for a new car when the time came. I really didn't mind, and actually preferred and loved my truck, even if it was a bit jerky at times.

I pull up to the address Sara sent me right on the outskirts of town. I put the car in park and cut the engine, peeking at her house through the passenger side window. It looked like a log cabin one would find out in the mountains, and it was small, compared to my house anyway, but it looked cozy and warm.

I grab my bag and stomp across the thick snow, trying not to slip and fall, I don't need to look like a fool in front of Sara again. I can hear the doorbell chime throughout the house as I push in the button on the bear shaped doorbell with my gloved finger.

The door swings open and I'm met with a woman only an inch or two taller than me. She's wearing a blue, frilly apron and dons a warm, inviting smile.

"You must be Tegan!" She pulls me into the house and into a big hug. "I'm Sonia, Sara's mum."

I pat her back awkwardly, and hear footsteps pounding down a set of stairs quickly, and then Sara appears.

"Mum!" Sara yells with a playful undertone. "Will you let her go? She just got here and she probably already wants to never come back."

"Oh shush," she pulls away with a smile, punching Sara in the shoulder jokingly. "I'm just so glad you're having someone over who isn't Stacy. I don't like that girl, you know. She's sneaky."

"I know, Mum," Sara laughs and grabs my wrist, dragging me towards the stairs after I quickly slip my boots off.

"Door open, Sara!" Her mum's voice echoes through the staircase.

"I know, Mum!" Sara shouts back.

"Why do you–" I begin curiously, before Sara interrupts me.

"Think about it, Tegan," she looks over her shoulder and giggles.

"Oh. _Oh._" I say after a moment, finally understanding. Sara was gay.

She giggles again and turns down a narrow hallway with three doors.

_Did her mother say that because she thought I was gay? Do I look gay? _The thoughts run through my mind on a loop. _I wasn't... I didn't like..._

I glance down and note Sara still has a grip on me, her long fingers gently wrapped around my thin wrist.

"That's cool with you, right?" She questions, letting me go and turning around to face me as she walks, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"Yeah, that's cool," I smile.

"Cool," she smiles wide and turns back around, pointing to a door on the right. "There's the bathroom if you need it."

I nod, even though she can't see me, and we reach the end of the hall, where she opens the last door.

"This is my room," she holds the door open and I step in, taking a look around.

The first thing I notice is how clean it is, and how comfy her big bed looks with its many pillows and fluffy blankets. There's books stacked all over the walls with those invisible bookshelves, a drafting table with a huge pile of notebooks, another desk with a laptop and speakers, and keyboard pushed off into a corner.

She flops down onto her bed face first, and turns towards me, smiling.

"Your bed looks really comfortable," I mention, shrugging my bag off my shoulder and leaning it against the wall.

"It is," she grins and scoots over to the far right, patting the left side. "See for yourself."

I unbutton my black peacoat and drop it onto my bag along with my gloves and shuffle over to her bed. I sit down on the edge, my feet dangling above the floor, and my fingers sink into the soft fur of the beige blanket beneath me.

"Nice," I mutter. My fingers begin to tremble as they continue to run through the soft fur over being in the same bed as a girl, as Sara, even though it couldn't be more innocent.

There's a quick, sharp tug on the back of my fitted red thermal and I find myself on my back, staring up at the ceiling. I take a deep, shaky breath through my nose, inhaling the vanilla scent that surrounds me from the fluffy pillow my head is resting on. I close my eyes and gulp, my heading reeling from the sensation it's giving me and I try to will it away and ignore it, just like I always do when this happens but it's getting increasingly hard to do so, especially around Sara.

"Tegan?" I hear my name and I open my eyes slightly, seeing Sara sitting up, cross legged, and looking at me quizzically. "Are you alright?"

I sit up and rub my eyes, flashing her a weak smile. "Yeah, you know, it was just so comfy is all."

** Sara's POV**

I continued to eye Tegan. She seemed nervous, and I just wanted her to feel at home so I pulled her onto my sheets, knowing no one could resist the power of my bed. When I heard her shuddery breath, I sat up and watched her. Her eyebrows were scrunched and she looked like she was concentrating really hard on something. When I asked, she said she was alright, but she looked anything but. When she realized I was gay she said it was cool, but maybe she was lying and just wanted to go home and get away from me. Maybe I shouldn't even try to be her friend at all.

"Sara? Are _you _alright?" Tegan places her hand on my knee and I shiver.

"Yeah, yeah. If you want you can sleep in my bed tonight?" I offer.

"With you?" She looks down, playing with her thick wool sock to distract herself.

"Well, uhm, yeah. It's a pretty big bed, I mean. I'm not going to touch you or anything, but I can sleep on the floor." I say with a frown.

"No! No.. I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't want you to give your bed up for me and sleep on the floor yourself. I don't mind sleeping with you." She says gently, then her eyes go wide, realizing what she just said, and she blushes.

I burst out laughing and her face turns ten shades darker.

"I don't mean to make you blush more, but I think you're really cute, Tegan." I say in a hushed tone, just needing to get it out of my system.

"Oh." She smiles, flattered, and peeks up at me.

I grin, ecstatic that she took the compliment so well, and didn't recoil, then jump off my bed, stepping over to my computer. "So how about some jams?"

Tegan hops off the bed and stands behind me while my laptop wakes up. "Who is that?" She points to the only picture frame in my room, propped up on my desk. I look at the picture and smile, seeing my thirteen year old self sitting on my Grandma's lap, both of our faces screwed up in silly expressions.

"My grandma, " I answer.

"Oh. Your hair was so long." She comments, a faint chuckle in her voice.

"Hah, yeah." I scratch the back of my head, tugging at the short strands.

"I like this better," Tegan reaches up and twirls a tuft of my brown locks around her finger. "It's wild. It suits you."

I crane my neck and eye her, one eyebrow mischievously raised. "You think I'm wild?"

She laughs, biting her lip, her fingers still playing with my hair. _God, that feels so good._

"Okay, maybe not wild, but I can tell you're different from anyone I've ever met." She drops her hand to her side and I turn around to face her, the music playing softly in the background.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I chuckle, and move back over to sit on my bed.

"It's good, definitely." She laughs and looks back to the picture. "Is she still here?"

"No, she passed a little over three years ago." I smile weakly, trying not to cry. I still wasn't over it, and I don't think I ever will be. She was my best friend and taught me so much.

"I'm sorry, Sara." Tegan says quietly and sits down by me, pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks," I smile and wrap my arms around her, feeling her strong shoulder muscles. Stacy had been right about the whole hockey thing, and I just know she has to have a great body underneath her clothes. I nuzzle into her neck as subtly as I can, inhaling her peachy scent and then I hear my door being slammed against the wall loudly.

"What are you two doing in here?!" I hear my dad growl in his deep voice.

**Tegan's POV**

I heard slams and yelling just seconds after I started hugging Sara on her bed. I didn't mean anything by it, she just looked sad and I wanted to comfort her, but I pull away, wide eyed, and jump off the bed, breathing hard as if I had been doing something wrong.

Sara starts giggling, both her eyebrows raised at me and the man I assume to be her dad starts laughing in a booming voice.

"He's just joking around, Tegan." Sara continues to giggle, and I let myself relax a little, but my heart still continues to beat impossibly fast. Why did I even react like that?

"Sorry kiddo," he smiles warmly at me and leans against the door frame. "Are you the one that finally got Sara to do her homework? If so, I bow to you. And Bear," he turns to Sara, "your mum wanted me to tell you it's time to eat." He turns back to me, stepping into the room with his hand extended. "I'm Bruce, Sara's old man."

"Tegan. It's nice to meet you, sir." I reach out and shake his hand firmly.

"You've got quite the grip there, Tegan." He pumps our hands up and down a few more times.

"Uhm, thanks?" I blush.

Sara starts to giggle again, and I glance over to her, seeing her biting her lip and staring at my bicep hugging my thermal. "She's on the hockey team, Dad. She plays center."

"That's quite the position." He lets go of my hand, I nod, and he looks to Sara as he heads for the door. "She sounds like a keeper, Sara."

"_Daaad_," Sara groans and his chuckles boom against the walls as he descends down the hall. "Sorry about him, he's obnoxious."

"He seems like a fun dad, way better than mine at least. Besides, it's a nice compliment even if we're not..." I trail off, then shrug. "Ya know.."

She smiles wide and grabs my hand, pulling me to the door to head downstairs. "Come on, my mom always makes good food when guests are over!"

She flies down the stairs and into the kitchen, taking a spot at the dining table with her feet perched on the ledge and her knees hugged to her chest. I sit down next to her, across from her dad, and watch her mum carry over a steaming casserole dish. She scoops a hefty amount onto each of our plates and they all dig in.

I quickly fold my hands under the table, shut my eyes, and bow my head, thanking God for the meal, and straighten back up. I pick up my fork and see Sara looking at me out of the corner of my eye. Our eyes meet and she continues to just stare for a second, her eyes flicking from my hands to my face, then she just smiles and turns back to her food, shoveling in a mouthful.

I scoop a piece of the casserole onto my fork and stare at it. I don't know what it is but there's stuffing, mashed potatoes, and tator tots in it. I can just picture my mum slapping the fork out of my hand and yelling at me for just _thinking _about eating it. The sodium and calories in it have got to be through the roof.

"Is there something wrong, dear?" Sonia asks.

I shake my head, feeling like a horrible guest for coming across as rude, and shove the fork into my mouth, chewing on the warm food. I have to control myself with all my might from moaning over the delicious taste. I don't think I've ever tasted anything so good.

I inhale the food and then a piece of some chocolatey dessert is placed in front of me. If possible, it was even better than the main dish. I could just hug Sara and her family for eating like normal people.

I offer to help clean up after but Sara's parents insist we go upstairs and be teenagers, and Sara again grabs my hand and drags me upstairs. Her hand is small, but it fits well with mine and it feels nice to be connected with another person so comfortably. I've never felt that with anyone before, not even with family members or the two ex-boyfriends I have.

She lets me go when we get back to her room and she takes her place back on her bed. "So what do you want to do now? We could play a board game, watch a movie, talk?"

"Umm.. talk." I decide and she nods, liking my answer.

"Let's get ready for bed and we can just hang in my bed then, ok?" She asks.

I grab my bag and head to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face, and pull on my black flannel pajama pants and baggy gray v-neck. When I'm all finished I open the door and find Sara waiting to use the bathroom. My eye drift down her body, clothed in a white wife-beater and the same orange underwear she was wearing the first day they met. They're boxer-brief style and stop at her mid thigh, hugging her pale, thin legs.

I gulp, that tingly feeling returning, and dart around her to her room. The big light is off and multicolored Christmas lights are lighting up the room now. I drop my bag and crawl into her bed, snuggling under the covers and wait, thinking about today, how Sara called me cute, and how we were about to spend a whole night sleeping just inches from each other.

Sara joins me a minute later and crawls into the other side, snuggling her head into her pillow. "So what do you want to talk about?"

I bite my lip and think. I couldn't think of anything to say, my heart was beating too fast from lying in bed with her. "Uhm.. what's your favorite color?" I settle on lamely.

"Green," she laughs. "Yours?"

"Burgundy." I answer.

Sara shifts, putting her arm under her head and the necklace hidden under her tank top falls out, revealing the golden cross charm. I reach forward and take it between my fingers, running the pad of my thumb over it.

"What are you?" I ask curiously.

"Hm?" She answers my question with a question.

"Religion? The cross?"

"Oh, I'm not religious. It was my Grandma's." She reaches for the necklace, her fingers colliding with mine. She looks at me, searching my eyes. "You are though, aren't you? You prayed before we ate."

"Catholic," I nod. "But we don't have to talk about it, it's not a very fun topic."

She laughs and agrees, changing the topic to something more light. We talk for hours, about anything and everything, mostly trivial stuff and bits of our childhood, like how Sara's dad called her 'Bear' because it was short for Sara Bear and he used to call her that when she was little, but I feel a lot closer to her before our yawns become too much and sleep pulls us under.

All night I dreamt about clouds, just feeling peaceful and laying in them, and when I woke up, I understood why. Sara's bed was seriously the most comfortable bed ever. I stretched and opened my eyes, seeing her side empty and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

Sara was sitting at her drafting table, writing in one of her many notebooks, her knees pulled into her chest, making her look so tiny. She was writing fast, and after every couple of seconds passed, she would lift her pencil to her mouth and bite the end, before crouching back down and continuing.

"Good morning," I say quietly.

Her head pops up and she looks at me, her bed head sticking out everywhere, and a pair of black rimmed glasses sitting on her nose. _Oh wow._

"I didn't know you had glasses."

"Oh," she reaches her hand up and starts to take them off. "I usually wear contacts but yeah, these are easier at home." She folds them up and sets them down.

"You don't have to take them off, they look cu- ...good." I mutter awkwardly.

"Thanks," she says with a smile, knowing what I was going to say, and puts them back on.

"What are you writing?" I crawl to the end of the bed, and stretch my neck, trying to see.

"Words," she smirks, and closes the book. "Some of them are songs, kind of."

"That's cool. You play the piano, yeah?" I point to the keyboard, hoping she says yes. I taught myself to play the guitar, it was the one thing I did that I chose to do without my parents influence, and I think it would be kind of cool to play music with another person.

She turns on her chair and looks at the instrument, frowning. "I used to."

I study her face, looking at the keyboard in a sort of longing way and decide to drop the subject. If she wants to talk me about it on her own, I know she will. She understands and smiles her thanks and stands up, pushing the chair in.

"Breakfast?"

I nod hungrily and she laughs. She brought up supper when we were talking last night and how she noticed my hesitation, so I told her all about my strict eating diet. I climb out of bed and she grabs my hand. "I'll make sure to find you the most sugar inducing coma breakfast you'll ever eat."


	4. Hot and Bothered

**A/N: **I really hope you all enjoy this one, because I'm not feeling all that great about it and I don't like to disappoint, so let me know what you think!

**Tegan's POV**

Sara followed silently beside me through the lunch room, our shoulders brushing the entire time. It was our first day back from Christmas break, and I asked her to sit with me at lunch today with my friends. She was hesitant, saying she was too weird for them to like her, but I insisted and kept telling her they were nice until she gave in.

"I'm not so sure about this, Tee," she whispered into my ear as we approached my table.

My heart fluttered over hearing her use the nick name she begun calling me through texts, now in person.

"It's fine, Sara, trust me," I assure her, taking my usual spot on the bench, and Sara slid in next to me.

We both started unpacking our bagged lunches as my friends talked with each other about Christmas and New Years. A plastic spoon and chocolate pudding cup slides in front of me and I glance over to Sara. She smiles and leans into me, whispering in my ear. "Our little secret."

A shiver runs down my spine as her warm breath invades my ear. I nod and push it to the side for later, saving the best for last. We begin eating in silence, waiting for my friends to wrap up their conversation and notice the newcomer.

"This is Sara, guys. We have 3rd period together," I introduce her and they all nod and welcome her.

"Hi," she replies back shyly and it's comforting to see her a little unsure for once.

We continue to eat, discussing typical teenage gossip. In a short break of silence, my friend Ashley speaks up, tapping her fork against her bottom lip and squinting at Sara. "Aren't you that one dyke?"

My jaw drops open and I turn to apologize for Ashley's rude behavior but Sara just chuckles and shrugs. "I don't know if I'm _that _dyke, but I'm gay, yeah."

Ashley shakes her head, "I could never be gay and have sex with a girl."

There's a collective nod of heads and "Yeah, me either's," go around the table, and I hang my head, not agreeing or disagreeing. I've never had sex, with a girl or boy, but I would imagine a girl's soft, smooth skin would be nicer to touch than a boy's rough, hairy skin.

Sara's knee nudges mine, and I look up. She's still just laughing, taking it all in stride. "That just leaves more for me then, I guess."

The rest of lunch passes quickly, the attention all on Sara, and I devour my pudding cup, thanking God Sara has come into my life and is a total sweetheart. The bell rings and we throw our trash away, Sara walking me to my locker before our next period.

"I'm sorry if they made you uncomfortable. Ashley doesn't always think before she speaks." I mutter, turning the combination on my lock.

"It's fine, I don't mind. At least they didn't shun me," she sighs and rests her head against the locker next to mine.

"Yeah that's true, so uhm, I wanted to ask you something." I shut my locker and lean against it, facing Sara.

"Yeah?" Her face lights up with curiosity.

"Well I have a hockey game tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come and watch?" I chew my lip nervously. It felt a tad egotistical to ask someone watch me play a sport where I wouldn't even be able to talk to them, but I wanted Sara to see the confident and strong person I really was. Or at least I was on the ice rink, anyway.

"Sounds cool, I've never been to a hockey game before. What time is it at?" She smiles, folding her arms over her chest. She's wearing her glasses today, making her a look a little nerdy, and I have to focus on not getting distracted by her perfect pixie like features.

"You've never been to a hockey game before?! Are you even Canadian?!" I shake her shoulders and she starts to laugh.

"I know, I know. I'm a terrible person. I'm glad you'll be my first though," she continues to laugh.

I stop shaking her and let go of her shoulders, my face heats up and mind instantly flows into the gutter, wondering if it would even be possible for me to be her first in that sense. I doubt it, and she could have a girlfriend for all I know, but I would be really surprised if Sara was a virgin. Not that I think she's easy or sleeps around, she is just so open and has that kind of personality that everyone is drawn to.

"So what time is it at?" Sara snaps her fingers in front of me, pulling my out of my daze.

"Oh. 4 o'clock."

"Okay, well I have to work after school until 5:30 but I'll come after if that's cool?"

"Sounds great. I guess I'll see you later then."

"I guess so. Bye, Tee." She smiles and turns on her heel, takes a step forward, then turns around again. "What's your number? So I know which one you are?"

"Seventeen. Or just look for the short one." I laugh.

**Sara's POV**

I was met with a cold breeze as I pushed my way through the large doors of the ice rink. It was my first time in here, and it was huge.

There were so many places to sit but there was barely anyone here. I guess girl's hockey wasn't a big thing at my high school. I walked my way around the rink looking for a good place to sit, while trying to find Tegan. It wasn't hard, she was by far the shortest on the team and they were taking a timeout so her helmet was off. The hair that wasn't pulled back into a loose ponytail was plastered to her forehead and cheeks with sweat. Her strong, square jawline was more prominent than ever and it clenched each time she would speak with her teammates.

I stopped at the glass, that protected the crowd from any flying pucks, and just watched her. She definitely wasn't the same Tegan I hung out with at school. She looked so confident and comfortable, not to mention sexy in her bulky gear. When the timer buzzes, the team shoves their helmets back on and skates back into position. Tegan catches my eye before her helmet goes on and she flashes me that gummy smile. I quickly wave and make my up the bleachers a few rows. A set of parents scowl at me as I walk by and plop down in the row behind them, a few feet away. I just roll my eyes. It didn't happen often but sometimes people would stare, even shake their heads, because they knew I wasn't straight and it apparently offended them.

With my focus back on the game, I try to keep an eye on the puck and where it keeps flying but that proves to be too hard so I just focus on watching Tegan, which is about a thousand times more exciting anyway. She is a fucking beast out there, zipping around the rink expertly in her skates, ramming into the other team members almost hard enough to get fouled, and I swear I could hear a husky grunt escape from under her helmet each time she'd hit someone or the puck.

There are only two words to describe what I am feeling right now; hot and bothered. Or, make that three as I feel my phone buzz in my pocket repeatedly.

Annoyed, I pull it out of my pocket and see Stacy's name lighting up my screen.

"Hey, Stace," I answer, leaning back on my elbows and hooking my ankles together on the seat below me.

"Hey, Sar, you done with work yet?" She asks, speaking quickly.

"Yeah, bu–"

"Well you have to come over! I just got the dankest weed," she raves.

"I can't Stace, I'm busy." I tell her.

"With what!?" She half shrieks, and I pull my phone away from ear, the sound ringing in my ear.

"I'm, uh, at a hockey game." I mutter. Ever since Stacy found out how I felt about Tegan, she hasn't stopped teasing me sense.

"Why are you at– _Oh_." I can hear the smile in her voice, and I chuckle.

"She's _so _hot, Stacy. She drives me _insane_." I gush.

"Wow, you've got it bad, Sara."

"I know," I sigh. I still didn't even know if Tegan was gay or straight, or somewhere in between, let alone if she even liked me. "She's literally perfect for me though," I start, looking up and seeing the couple below me staring at me as I talk, but I just continue on, "She's smart, nice, funny, beautiful, athletic, and innocent... Oh, the things I could teach that girl," I say dreamily.

Stacy laughs, and I do too, realizing how pathetic I sound, and again I lock eyes with the couple below me, now with faces of disgust. I tried to avoid conflict as much as I could, but this was just ridiculous.

I put my phone against my shoulder and lean forward towards them, "Is there a problem?"

They both just scowl again and turn their attention back to the game, but I hear the man whisper to his wife something dykes and I blow my lid off, hanging up on Stacy, and standing up to move in front of them so they have to listen. I lay into them on how disrespectful and intolerant they are, not caring who hears or sees me.

Apparently I just went off until the game ended and I don't stop until I hear someone clear their throat behind me. I turn around and see Tegan, dressed back in her clothes from earlier at school, and lugging a huge duffel bag filled with her gear.

"Hey Tegan! You looked great out there," I smile, unable to help my eyes as they skim her visible skin still sticky with sweat.

She smiles her gummy grin for a second and then it falters as she mutters a quick "Thanks," and walks past me to the awful people I had just been yelling at.

I turn around, preparing to ask her what was wrong and why she basically just acted like she didn't know me, and see her standing next to the couple. I try not to dread the worst, but then hear the worst possible words ever escape Tegan's lips, "Hi Mum and Dad."

You have got to be fucking kidding me. _Those_ were Tegan's parents? How could they have produced such an amazing person? And how could I have developed feelings for a person whose parents wouldn't even accept me as just her friend?

"Fuck my life," I mumble and walk as quickly as I can out of the rink and to my bike, needing to escape.

**Tegan's POV**

The entire drive home I had to listen to my parents rant about Sara, how messed up today's youth is, and how they should have sent me to a private school so I didn't have to interact with people like that. They didn't even congratulate me or praise me on the game and how I had scored the last, winning goal.

I tried my best not to cry in the back of the car, while they never gave me the appraisal I was after. Didn't they see I worked so hard to please them? None of my efforts ever seemed to pay off. It seriously makes me feel like shit. It also doesn't help that I feel terrible about blowing Sara off. She took the time to make sure she made it after her shift just to watch me play for thirty minutes.

I just wanted to apologize and explain the situation to her. If my parents knew I was friends with her, they would make sure I would never see her again. I needed to talk to her right away.

I didn't try to call or text her, knowing she probably wouldn't answer, and just tell my parents I'm going to the library for a while to study before bed and head out. I knew she wouldn't be at home, and just drove past it and straight to the place she always talked about going to when she was stressed.

Pulling into the boat landing parking lot, I see her red bike leaning against a tree, and her hunched figure sitting on the dock. She looks over when I slam my door shut, spotting me, and her shoulders droop even more.

I sit down next to her and hug my knees, staring out at the lake shimmering from the moonlight. I could tell why Sara liked coming here, it was gorgeous, and definitely relaxing.

"I'm sorry, my parents are..."

"Awful human beings," she scoffs and lifts a tiny glass bowl to her face along with a lighter, and sparks it, inhaling.

I watched her close her eyes and her body slowly loosen up. I didn't know she smoked weed, but I'm not surprised.

"Yeah, they're not very open minded. I just wanted to apologize if they said anything hurtful to you, and to thank you for coming tonight. That was nice of you."

She smiles and knocks her knee into mine, forgiving me. "You looked great out there. Definitely the best."

"Hah, thanks." I blush, a wave of emotions and thoughts about the past month and Sara rushing through me. "Uhm, Sara?" I swallow, feeling my nerves rise.

"Yeah?" She sets her things down and turns to me.

"Do you like me?" The words fall out my mouth.

She grins and turns back towards the lake, "Yeah, I like you."

"Like, you like _like _me?"

"Yeah, I like _like _you," she laughs.

I smile to myself, feeling happiness rise within me. I wasn't sure of my own feelings for Sara, or even for people in general, but I was glad to know she felt that way. A few minutes pass in silence, starting off comfortably, then I start to feel awkward again. "Hey Sara?"

"Yeah, Tegan?" Sara chuckles.

"How did you know you were gay?" I ask, fiddling with my fingers. I wasn't sure about myself, and I was hoping Sara would be the one to help me, in a lot of ways.

"Looking back, there were a lot of things that pointed to it, a lot." She laughs, raising an eyebrow and looking at me.

"What stands out the most?" I ask curiously.

"The truth?" She asks, and my curiosity grows. Was there some kind of crazy story behind it?

"Yeah."

"Well, in 9th grade, I had a boyfriend named Tyler. He was cool and everything, and I thought I liked him, really liked him, so we decided to lose our virginity to each other." She begins with a laugh, and my jaw slightly drops. I would have never imagined Sara sleeping with a guy, it just didn't seem to fit. She looks back into my eyes and continues. "It was kind of weird, not awful or traumatizing or anything, but it just wasn't my cup of tea, ya know? After that I started to think that maybe I was different and started putting the pieces together of why I got more nervous around girls, why my eyes lingered in the locker room, that kind of stuff. Then in 10th grade, I was at this party and drunkenly hooked up with some chick. It was kind of stupid, and I never saw her again, but I wasn't confused anymore after that." She looks down and plays with her fingers, then peeks up at me through her eyelashes. "Why do you ask? Do you think you might be gay, Tegan?"

I take a deep breath and look up to the stars, trying not to cry. It wasn't something I liked to think about or even begin to admit to myself because I had been taught it was wrong and I would go to Hell if I was gay, then of course there was the issue of my parents. If they found out.. I didn't even want to think about what they would do, but I felt safe talking to Sara, I knew I could trust her, so I let myself talk about it. "It's crossed my mind a few times but even if I was, I couldn't act on it. My parents would die if they found out their only child wasn't "normal."'

She shakes her head, the anger from her outburst at my parents still fresh in her mind. She takes my hand in hers and squeezes it, using her other hand to lift my face and turn it towards her. "That's so whack. You should be proud of who you are Tegan, no matter what you are, and your parents should be too. They have serious issues if they can't see what a great person you are. If you ever want to talk about it, or anything for that matter, I'm here. I went through the denial, self hatred, all that crap, so I know what it's like. Okay, Tegan?"

I lean into her touch, letting it make me feel better. "Thanks, Sara. You're really sweet, and uh.. uhm.. I want you to know, that I might like you too.. maybe.."


	5. Lion Hearts and Swimsuits

**A/N: **I hope you guys this like one, I think it's pretty cute even if it is a bit short! Thank you all for the reviews on the last chapter, it gave me the motivation to get this done! :) So enjoy, reviews always welcomed and appreciated! Oh, just pretend that there is awful global warming in this story that allows them to be swimming outside in Calgary during mid-February!

Also, I don't have to work tomorrow so I'm go to try to post a new chapter of Side Effects, or at least get most of it done!**  
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**Sara's POV**

_I must become a lion hearted girl, ready for a fight..._

My phone buzzes atop my pajama covered stomach, and my lips curl into a grin, knowing exactly who that ringtone belongs to.

"Hey Tee." I nestle the phone between my shoulder and ear, and place the book I had been reading on my chest.

"Hey you," she responds cheekily, and my grin widens to the point where it almost hurts. Ever since Tegan admitted her possible feelings for me two weeks ago, her voice developed a sort of flirtatious undertone to it, and it made my heart skip a beat every time I'd hear her talk. "What are you up to?"

"Just laying in bed, reading. What's up?" I smile, absentmindedly twirling the tassel of my bookmark around my finger.

"Well... My parents are gone for the night. I was thinking about going for a swim, and was wondering if you wanted to come over and join me?" She asks, so full of hope.

"Uhm, duh." I laugh. "I'll just change real quick and hop on my bike, okay?"

"Sounds good. I'll text you my address, and when you get here, park your bike by the detached garage and walk down the left side, and through the gates. You'll see the pool right away."

Detached garage? _Gates_? That sounds super fancy. I wonder if she'll show me her bedroom...

"Sara?" Tegan breaks the silence.

"Yeah, right, got it. I'll see you soon Tee." I hop off the bed, heading straight for my dresser. Should I wear a modest, more androgynous bikini, or something girly?

"Great. Bye, Sara!" She cheers, hanging up. I toss my phone back to my bed and turn back to my dresser.

Girly. Definitely girly. It would let her see a different side to me, not to mention my practically nude body, and perhaps it will help her realize her feelings. I slip out of my clothes and into the olive green string bikini, decorated with beading on the straps, and slip back into my clothes, grab my backpack and run out the door.

I ride into her driveway, my jaw slowly dropping at the sight of her house, er, _mansion_? Definitely fancy. I push my way through the tall wooden gate and spot Tegan by the in-ground pool, wearing an oversized t-shirt and dangling her legs in the pool.

"Is your family in the mafia or something?" I tease, dropping my bag on one of the pool chairs.

"No," she smiles and turns to me, lifting one of her legs out of the water. She hugs it to her chest, dampening her shirt, and the water rolls down her leg and over her bony ankle, back into the pool. "My dad is a lawyer and my mum comes from money, so..."

"Oh. Cool." I nod and reach for the hem of my shirt, not wanting to waste anytime since I have an 11:30 curfew and it's already after nine. I pull my shirt over my head, the fabric running across my stomach and giving me goosebumps. I drop the material on my bag and peek up at Tegan as I start to unbutton my jeans and I try not to smirk when I see that her face is bright red and she's struggling not to watch.

I giggle and step out my jeans, straighten out my suit, then make my way to the edge and dip my toes in to test it out. Satisfied that I'm not going to freeze my bum off, I dive right in, letting the water consume me. The water is so refreshing, I swim along the bottom until my lungs demand I fill with them oxygen.

I pop back up to the surface, and shake the water from my hair like a wet dog and swim over to Tegan.

"Well aren't you going to get in?" I wrap my fingers around her ankles loosely and look up at her.

She's playing with the hem of her shirt nervously and swings her legs back and forth, moving my fingers across her skin. "Yeah, it's just.." she mumbles, trailing off.

"What? You're nervous?" I ask, rubbing my thumbs over her bony ankles soothingly.

"More like self conscious..." She continues to mumble.

I can't help but laugh a little. What on earth did she have to be self conscious about? She has nothing to worry about, she is literally, well, perfect!

"Why? Are you like super hairy or something? I'll still like you even if you look like Sasquatch. Promise." I lift my hand out of the water and stick my pinky out, grinning.

Tegan laughs and shakes her head, her eyes lighting up as she hooks her pinky with mine. She lets go and starts to lift her shirt. I try not to gawk, but it's hard not to. I've been dreaming about this moment since I met Tegan almost two months ago, and let me tell you, dreams really do come true. Her upper body stretches out as she lifts the shirt over her head, causing her skin to tighten across her muscles and her black athletic bikini covers just enough to still drive me crazy with curiosity.

I bit my lip painfully as an involuntary whine passes my lips over her taught abs and v-lines I've only ever seen on models. I take a deep breath and lick my lips to stop the drool threatening to spill.

"Woah mama," I mutter under my breath.

She mistakes my staring and silence as a negative reaction and moves her hands to cover the muscles, embarrassed. "They're gross, I know."

"_Gross_?! That's what you think they are?!" I bug my eyes out and smack my forehead in disbelief. This girl was clearly bonkers if she thought she was anything but down right sexy.

I grip her arms away from her stomach, keeping my smile in place, and tug her down into the water.

"So you ...like them?" She asks, surprised that I would.

"Uh, duh," I laugh loudly. "And if you let me touch them, I'll _love_ them."

"You're crazy, Sara." She laughs, showing her gummy grin.

_Yeah, crazy for you._

"But if you catch me, maybe I'll let you." She teases, then pushes a wave of water at me and dives below the surface, swimming away.

I sputter and rub the water from my face. I can't see Tegan, but I can hear her laughing. I spin around, finding her all the way on the other end of the pool already. _Damn, is she some kind of mermaid?!_

I growl and dive under, pushing my arms and legs out from my body to catch her. The bubbles from my nose are blocking most of my vision but I can still make out a peachy color in the water. I push forward, and reach out. My fingers graze skin and I clench my fist, thinking I've got her already, but I only catch water.

I grunt and bob back up to the surface, looking around for her. She's wading about ten feet away with an evil smirk planted on her face, a look I've never seen on her. Where did _that _come from?

"Try again," she taunts, flicking drops of water at me.

Every foot I move closer, her smile widens, and when I get my hands on her... Oh man. I'm about two feet away when she pushes another wave at me, covering my whole face. _Damnit_.

I recover more quickly this time, and see her in the deep end, towards the corner. I take a deep breath and push off the smooth concrete bottom, moving at her like a torpedo. I open my eyes and see her falter for a moment over which direction to swim and I take my chance, reaching out for wrists and grasp them between my fingers.

"Gotcha," I smile after I catch my breath.

"I let you win," she grins and slips her wrists out from my fingers, only to link her fingers back with mine.

"Oh, so you want me to touch you?" I goad, moving a few inches closer.

She looks down, her face and chest turning a deep crimson, with a small smile creeping up. She looks up at me through her eyelashes and slightly shrugs, I barely notice it.

"Tegan, can I kiss you?" I blurt out.

**Tegan's POV**

"Tegan, can I kiss you?" Sara blurts out then takes a sharp breath and bites her lip, looking nervous.

I lift my head and look at her, then down to our distorted hands, and back to her and gulp. I want to, _God_, do I want to, but should I? Was this the point of no return if I said yes? Would my parents somehow know?

"You can say no if you want to." She murmurs, and her grip on our hands loosens.

"No," I shake my head, then nod. "You can, you can kiss me."

She smiles and lifts our hands out of the water, the droplets splashing back into water make the only sounds besides our breathing. She moves in to kiss the back of my hand, then the other, and already my breathing is getting shorter and quicker, and I can still feel her soft lips against my skin.

"Don't be scared," she whispers, cupping my jaw gently in her hands and she caresses my cheeks with the moist pads of her thumbs. She continues to move in closer until our breaths are passing through the others lips. She looks to my lips then back to my eyes, and I let my eyes clothes, waiting for her to give us what we both want.

Her breath gets hotter against my lips and then they're pressing against mine, and I quickly return the pressure while my mind is saying this is wrong, nothing has ever felt so _right_.

She continues the pressure for a few more seconds then I feel her start to smile as she pulls away. She keeps her hands on my face as she moves backwards, biting her lip. I smile at her and grins, moving her hands to my shoulders then she starts to cackle and jumps up, pushing my body under the water.

I swing my arms out, trying to figure out what just happened and reach the surface, looking around frantically for Sara and I see her running out of the pool and into the backyard, still cackling. I laugh and push myself out of the pool and start running after her.

Only she would pull a move like that after kissing me that sweetly, but I like that about her; she's unpredictable.

"What are you doing!" I yell and pick up my speed.

She just laughs and stops behind a tree, peeking around it to look for me. I stop running and scramble behind the silver shed housing all of my dad's yard supplies. I hold my breath and creep along the fence, trying to avoid stepping on any twigs or tripping in the dark.

I see her slowly stepping around the tree, still trying to find me. "Tegan?" She calls.

I stifle my laughs and make a dash for it. For once thankful for my strength, I tackle her onto her back and she groans, trying to push up off the ground.

"Don't fight me, I'm stronger than you." I laugh and pull her into my arms, her bare stomach presses into mine.

She grunts again and kicks her legs, her efforts futile. I step onto the ledge of the pool and she shrieks while starting to laugh and latches onto my back, knowing my plans. I wiggle out of her grasp and toss her into the pool with a huge splash.

I throw my head back in laughter, clutching my stomach then I feel Sara's hand around my ankle and then I'm engulfed by water. I kick my way to the surface and start coughing obnoxiously.

"Revenge _is _sweet." She grins devilishly and grabs my face, pulling me into her.


	6. Nerves and Guilt

**Tegan's POV**

Two weeks. It's been two weeks since Sara and I have kissed. We haven't even talked about it, and I know it's all my fault. After I threw her in the pool, which was hilarious I might add, she kissed me again. It was even better than the first one, let me tell you, but then we talked. She said she understood that I'm dealing with a lot of conflicting feelings right now and that if I want to pursue something with her, we will go with what is comfortable for me. I know that I definitely like Sara, a lot, but I've also spent my entire life being told that homosexuality is wrong and that I'll burn in Hell for choosing that 'lifestyle'. I've never really full believed that but there's also the guilt, my parents, and just what if it all happens to be true? I really feel like I could potentially want a romantic relationship with her, but even if I get my own feelings sorted out I'm not the type of person to know how to go about letting her know that without being a complete dork.

Tonight we have plans to hang out. Sara hasn't told me where or what we're doing but when I asked if it was a date, she said no. I'm heading over to her house right now to pick her up since she doesn't have a car, or even her license. It's silly, but it makes me feel good to know I'm going something for her, maybe even us, even if it is only as simple as driving us somewhere.

I pull up in front of her house and spot her sitting on her stoop, digging through her backpack. I honk the horn briefly and she pops her head up, a huge contagious grin forming on her face as she jogs to my truck and climbs in, using the step that I also have to use because we're too short otherwise.

"Hey Tee," she buckles in, setting her backpack between her feet, and leans over the middle console, pecking me on the cheek.

I lift my hand to my face, grazing my fingertips over where her sweet lips had just been and smile. "You're in a good mood."

"Should I not be?" She giggles.

I laugh and shake my head, putting the truck back in drive. "So where am I going?"

"Make a u-turn then take a left at the end of the block." She instructs.

"Got it." I pull away from her house and continue to listen to her directions until we arrive in front of a huge, wrought iron gate leading into a cemetery.

"Uhm..?" I put my truck in park and cut the engine, then turn to Sara, wondering what on earth we are doing here.

She chuckles and unbuckles, pulling her knees up to her chest to hug them; her favorite sitting position, as I've come to learn.

"I'm hoping you think won't think I'm too weird since you're pretty religious and all, but I want you to meet somebody... kind of."

"I already think you're weird, Sara." I dismiss her and grin.

"Well yeah, obviously, but this is like _weird _weird, not adorable weird."

"Let me be the judge of that," I laugh and jump out, quickly walking to the other side of the vehicle before Sara can open her door, and tug it open for her.

"Why thank you," she smile and gets out, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders. "Follow me," she grabs my hand and drags me through the gates and around the different gravestones.

A minute later she stops in front of a grave decorated with all kinds of flowers and a wreath, with the name 'Judith Clement' engraved into it; her grandma. She drops my hand and bends down, cleaning and straightening everything out.

"Grandma?" She starts, peeking up at me for a quick second. "Do you remember that girl I told you about, the cute one with the weird name?" She asks with a smile in her voice.

I chuckle, rolling my eyes, and Sara stands up, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer.

"Well Grams, she's become pretty close to me over the past two months or so, and I want you to meet her." She pulls me forward even more and waits.

"Uhm.. Hi Mrs. Clement, it's uhm.. nice to meet you..?" I mutter, feeling awkward over talking to, well, a chunk of rock.

Sara stifles a laugh and squeezes my hip playfully. "You think I'm _weird _weird, don't you?" She lets her laughter escape.

I smile and shake my head. "No, it's kind of endearing, in a strange way. Do you come here often?"

She shrugs, letting go of my hip. "A few times every couple of weeks, I guess. Would you sit here with me for a while? I promise I'll stop talking to a rock."

"Hah, yeah, sure." I settle down in the cold grass and pat the grass next to me. She sits down, our thighs pressed against each other, and she closes her eyes. My lips pull into a small smile as I just watch her. She has opened up to me quite a bit about her Grandma and how close they were. I could tell just by the way she held herself whenever we talked about her that her death had really affected her, and although I couldn't relate, I knew I could be there for her, even if it just meant sitting with her in silence.

**Sara's POV**

I knew there was was no way I could voice my appreciation to Tegan for being so understanding, even if she didn't really fully understand. I also knew that if I brought any of my other friends here, like Stacy, they would just think I was on drugs or something and leave, but Tegan was different. She's just sitting next to me in content silence, and after a few minutes pass, I feel her fingers link with mine.

I smile and turn her way, slowly opening my eyes. She's looking at our connected fingers, just slowly running her thumb up and down the back of my hand. She feels my gaze and glances up at me, running her other hand through her hair. She doesn't say anything, just holds eye contact with me before closing her eyes and looking up to the sky.

I close my own eyes, smiling to myself. I feel like she said so much more than words could with just that look, and I feel like haven't felt like this in such a long time. I'm just so at peace, letting the minutes tick by, reveling in Tegan's touch and the calm, fresh air winding it's way into my lungs.

"Tegan?" I break the silence after at least thirty minutes have passed.

"Hmm?" She opens an eye and peeps at me.

"Why is your hand so sweaty?" I giggle and lift our hands.

Her eyes widen and she pulls away, wiping her hand desperately on her jeans. "Uhm.. uh.. I.." She stutters, clearly embarrassed.

"I make you nervous?" I guess.

"Well, not _you _personally, but you know.." She mumbles, shrugging her shoulders.

I smile and hop to my feet, holding my hand out to help her up. She clasps my hand, blushing, and I pull her up. "I know just how to calm your nerves, let's go to the dock." We weave our way through the cemetery back to her car, and drive silently to one of my favorite places on earth.

"Have you ever..?" I ask, holding the small pipe and lighter out to her. The sun is just starting to set over the lake and if getting high and watching the golden colors shimmer over the water doesn't ease Tegan's nerves, then I don't know what will.

She shakes her head slowly, looking at the paraphernalia hesitantly.

"Do you want to try?" I offer, kneeling my way across the wooden deck to get closer to her.

She bites her lip, thinking about it for a moment, then nods. "I don't know how to though."

"I'll help you do it," I smile. "Just inhale when I say inhale, and exhale when I say exhale. Got it?"

"Got it."

I grin and wrap an arm around her shoulder, holding the piece to her lips and spark the lighter over the ground up green bud. "Inhale."

She closes her eyes real tight and her chest rises, taking in a huge hit. I chuckle, finding her ignorance amusing. I pull the glass away and she holds her breath, waiting.

"Exhale." She opens her eyes and lets out a big puff of smoke then her eyes widen and she lurches forward in a coughing fit. I laugh harder and pat her back gently until she calms down and sits up straight.

"Woah," she laughs. "You enjoy that?"

"Uh huh, you know what else I enjoy?" I lean in, running my fingers through the back of hair and then I pause, remembering that I told her I would let her judge what happened between us and not wanting to violate that, I ask, "May I?"

"Please," she whispers, moving in closer.

Her delicious bottom lip lands in between my own lips and my nose flattens against her cheek, bringing us our most passion filled kiss yet.

The tiniest moan escapes from Tegan and I can't help but smile as she pulls away, our lips sticking together as they part.

"Does it still make you feel guilty?" I mumble, feeling her breath against my parted lips.

"It's not as bad as before, but yes." She utters, backing away an inch.

"Let me kiss it away for you." I hold onto her hair tighter and lean back in for another kiss.

"Not tonight." She protests and turns her cheek, making my lips miss her own. I loosen my hold and frown. She laughs and places her hand on my knee reassuringly. "But maybe soon, if you go on a date with me?"

"You're asking me out?" My jaw drops a little. I figured I would end up being the one to plan any dates we had, but I definitely like the idea of her taking charge of it, especially for our first date. It was bound to be special.

"Yeah, uh, if you want, that is." She looks away shyly, staring out at the now dark water.

"I'd love to go out with you, Tee." I smile, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "Where are we going to go?" I ask, filled with desperate curiosity. Has she been secretly planning something for a while now?

"I don't know yet, but it's going to be a surprise." She smiles, laying down on her back to watch the stars.


	7. First Dates and Falling Stars

**A/N: **I think this chapter turned out pretty cute, so I really hope you all do too and if you do, let me know! Enjoy and thank you for reading! :)

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**Tegan's POV**

It was normal to be nervous to the point of wanting to hurl on the night of your first date... right? Because I certainly was. I spent the entire week leading up to our date buried deep inside my head trying to think of a cute, fun idea for it. It wasn't until last night that I finally came up with an idea that wasn't too romantic and cheesy, but where I could still impress Sara.

Checking myself out in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I wonder if maybe I chose something _too _casual. I'm decked out in skinny jeans, my red and navy jersey men jacket from the hockey team, and a black, knit beanie. I looked alright, maybe even a little cute since Sara seemed to be into sporty girls, but it just didn't seem like date-wear. Why am I so clueless about these kinds of things?

I take one last glance in the mirror then grab one of my smaller duffle bags, phone, and keys then shut my door quietly on my way out. I tip-toe down the stairs, and into the living room, hoping to sneak past my mum cleaning up after dinner in the kitchen, but no such luck.

"Where do you think you're going?" She calls, setting the semi-clean dish in her hand back into the sudsy sink and walks to the wide doorway into the kitchen.

I grimace and spin on my heels, smiling at her and pointing to my bag. "Uhm.. Some of the girls on the team wanted to get together to work on some new plays for the championships next month."

"Oh okay," she nods, approving. "Just don't forget you have a 10 o'clock curfew."

"Right. About that.." I bite my lip, hoping I won't find my question regretful. "Do you think you could extend it to like 11 for tonight, please?"

She taps her fingers on her hip, mulling it over. "You can stay out until 10:30, but just for tonight. Don't get used to it."

I sigh. "Thank you, Mum. I'll be home later."

She nods, waving me away, and heads back into the kitchen. I roll my eyes. One day she'll give me a halfway decent farewell, I just know it. I position my bag higher up on my shoulder and head out to my truck, shoving my bag into the small backseat where my bulky guitar case already sits under a blanket so Sara can't see. I knew my Mum would question me about my guitar so thankfully I was smart enough to pack it up before either of my parents got home from work.

I pull out of the driveway, quickly calling Sara to let her know I'll be at her place in about fifteen minutes, then crank up my music. Florence's angelic voice consumes my car and I belt out the words along with her, letting my confidence boost.

I turn onto Sara's block and see her waiting on the stoop again, wearing a long, striped oversized sweater paired with her usual baggy skinny jeans. When I get in front of her house, she's already standing by the curb, eager to start the night. I lean across the seat, pull on the door handle and shove the door open for her.

She gets in and buckles, swinging her legs back and forth with a huge grin on her face. I can't help but smile back, she looked so radiant and beautiful when she was happy.

"Ready?"

"You have no idea," she beams. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," I tug the gearshift into drive and head towards our high school. I pull into the rink's parking lot and grab my duffel bag, then open Sara's door for her and lead her in through the back doors, hand in hand.

"I didn't think you were so rebellious. Break into buildings often?" She jabs while I punch the security code into the alarm system outside the door.

"I'm not breaking in," I laugh. "My coach knows I like extra practice so he lets me come here on my own time."

"You really love hockey, huh?" She nudges my side and smiles.

"Yeah. It's a nice escape from everything, ya know? Usually when I come here I just hit pucks around instead of anything productive." I shrug and lead us to the home team's bench and unzip my bag.

She sits down and eyes my bag. "So are you gonna show me some rad moves or something?"

"Nope," I chuckle, and hand her a pair of thick wool socks. "Here, these will protect you from getting blisters." Then I pull out a pair of expensive, black skates by their tied shoelaces and hand them to her. "We're going to skate."

"Me?" She points to herself, and then the ice with fear written all over her face. "Out there? That doesn't sound like a good idea."

I laugh and pull my shoes off, setting them neatly in the corner and pull out another pair of socks and skates and start putting them on. "I won't let you fall, I promise."

"You better not," she warns, slipping her own shoes off and tugging the skates on with a scowl.

Once my skates are all on, I bend down in front of Sara and help her finish up, stand, and walk over to the small gate leading onto the rink. I step onto the ice and spin around expertly, holding my palms up for Sara to take. She takes my hands tightly in her own and lets out a deep breath, stepping hesitantly on the ice, wobbling on the thin blades.

"Have you never done this before?" I chuckle, skating backwards and pulling her along with me, our skates leaving two perfectly straight lines and two squiggly lines.

"Not since I was like six. I'm much more of a bike person, you know, _wheels_, that are on a surface that isn't slippery." She rambles, trying to get her hips into the motion. "Stop going so fast!" She shrieks with laughter.

"I'm not even going that fast!" I argue, but slow down to a snail's pace.

She moves her grip up to my biceps, bringing our bodies closer, and just lets me drag her along, not even trying. I frown, and suddenly this doesn't feel like such a great date.

"I guess this wasn't a very good idea, huh?"

"No, no, Tee, it's great," she assures me, squeezing my arms. "I just have awful balance. Maybe it'll help if you get behind me?"

I nod and slow down to a stop, gliding behind Sara. I blush as I place my hands on her hips, feeling the dip into her curves hidden under her too big top. She rests her hands on mine and looks over her shoulder, smiling sweetly.

I smile and blush harder, looking away. If touching her innocently like this made me react this way, what would happen if I ever touched her in less innocent way? I think my body would just implode.

I start to push her forward, her grip on my hands getting tighter the faster we go. "It's a very natural movement, Sara. Just put your hips into it and push forward with your right foot, and then your left.

"Okay," she says shakily, nodding her head.

We skate about a quarter of the rink and then she finally starts to get the hang of it. She lets go of my hands and holds her arms out at her side to help her balance. I bite my lip and try not to laugh, positive that we probably look like a very amateur figure skating duo.

"I'm going to let go, okay?"

"O-okay," she stutters.

Letting go of her, I spin around and skate backwards along side her. She continues to go pretty slow, but she's got all the movements down at least. We make eye contact and now she blushes, embarrassed. I laugh and take off down the ice at top speed around the rink, finding my way back to Sara in seconds.

"It's not nice to make your date feel inferior." She pouts and puts her hands on her hips.

"It's meant to impress you, not make you feel bad." I laugh.

She smiles and shakes her head, reaching out for my hand. "I already like you, you don't need to impress me. But, if you want to show me some tricks, I will totally let myself be impressed even more."

"I don't know.. I don't think you can handle it," I tease, skating circles around her.

"Try me," she goads, reaching her hands out to try and catch me.

"If you insist," I shrug, and take off again. I definitely wasn't a figure skater, able to spin on one blade in countless circles, but as a hockey player, a _good _hockey player, I could go fast. I do a couple large figure eights, engraving the shape in the ice, then do some zig-zags like I'm dodging an entire team, spraying ice debris everywhere. I zoom past her and bend down low, picking up as much speed as I possibly can and once I am approaching her again, I hold my arms out in front of me and grab her around the waist, hoisting her off the ground and continue to zip around the rink with her shrieking in my arms.

"Tegan! Oh my god! Put me down!" She wraps her arms around my neck, holding on tightly.

"Are you impressed?" I ask, laughing loudly while skating around in different shapes.

"Yes! Thoroughly! Now put me down!" She squeals with a hint of laughter in her voice.

I giggle and slow down, setting her back down gently and hold onto her until she's steady on her skates again.

"You're mean. I don't like you anymore." She huffs and pushed my shoulder.

I laugh and rub the area she just punched with a wince, pretending like it hurt.

"Make it up to me." She smirks with a raised eyebrow.

I bite my lip and skate forward a few inches, cupping her sharp jaw in my hands, and pull her face to mine, kissing her softly.

"How's that?" I pull away slowly, my lips tingly from touching hers.

"One more?" She smiles.

I chuckle and lean back in, parting my lips slightly with all the courage I can muster and run my tongue across her bottom lip. As quickly as she feels it, she smiles wide and mumbles into my mouth. "Mmm, okay," she grabs my belt loops and tugs me closer.

It's not the first time I've made out with somebody but wow, I have never been so nervous, and well, _excited_, in my life. I'm sure Sara can hear my heart beat erratically in my chest and my hands tremble against her jaw as our tongues mingles and explore each other eagerly.

Sara smiles again and pulls me forward, out chests pushing up against each others, and one of her hands snakes behind to the small of my back and partially on my bum. A shiver runs down my spine and I reluctantly pull away.

"Okay, okay," I pant with a smile. I was undeniably enjoying myself but I can't let this progress faster than my brain and heart can handle.

"Sorry," Sara giggles, scratching the back of her head and looking down.

"Don't be," I grin and grab her hand. "Come on."

"Is the night already over?" She frowns, letting me drag her across the ice.

"Nope, but the skating is. Unless you want to stay out here?" I smirk.

"No. Nope. I'm good." She chuckles. "Unless you plan on taking me to a gym to work out or something, but that also depends on what you work out in."

I roll my eyes and laugh, letting her hand go so she can struggle back to the bench on her own for teasing me.

"You know, I thought this was a pretty fun and cute idea for a first date. Need I remind you where you took me last weekend?" I quip.

"Fair enough," she chuckles, trying to scoot across the ice while I wait by the bench for her, amused.

"I've never seen anyone move so slow," I laugh and go scoop her up into my arms, tired of waiting, and set her on the equipment box by the bench. She sticks her tongue out at me and swings her legs back and forth. I grab one of them and start untying the laces, pull it off and toss it by my bag and do the same with the other then take my own off, slipping my sneakers back on.

"Where are you going?" She cocks her head to the side like a confused puppy.

"To get some things. I'll be back in five minutes, don't go anywhere!" I yell to her as I head back to my truck to get my guitar and then had back to the kitchen connected to the concession stand inside the rink to make some steamy hot chocolate.

I head back to Sara, carrying the guitar with one hand and balancing one lidded cup on top of the other and find her sitting with her knees tucked into her chest. She looks up and sees the items in my hands, beaming.

"Thanks, Tee," she accepts the cup graciously and runs her hand over the textured guitar case. "Are you going to play for me?"

I take a sip of my cocoa and nod. The hot liquid burns my tongue and I set it down, opening my guitar case and pulling out the acoustic instrument. I strum a few chords, making sure it's still in tune from earlier. The sound rings beautifully throughout the rink. Perfect.

"I've never played in front of anyone so bear with me." I say nervously.

"You could sound like a whale and I would still think it was amazing and that you're the sweetest person I've ever met."

"We'll see about that." I blush and start the intro to one of the songs written by our favorite artist.

"A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes. I screamed aloud as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind.." A crooked smile forms on my face when I look up to Sara, mesmerized.

As I continue to sing each verse, she continuously inches my way, closing the gap between us.

"...Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too, so I stayed in the darkness with you.."

** Sara's POV**

I don't even let Tegan finish the song before I grab her face firmly between my thumb and fingers and pull her lips to mine with all the passion and attraction I have for her.

"So I guess that means you liked it, huh?" She chuckles after I pull away for a breath.

"Mmhmm," I bite my lip and lean back in to brush my lips against her again for a quick peck. I run my fingers down the strings of her guitar. "Will you teach me to play?"

"Really?" She grins. "You want to learn?"

"If you're the one to teach to me. Maybe one day I can teach you something on the piano." I offer, looking down and picking at my nails. I still have yet to dust my keyboard off at home, but the desire to play has been creeping forward every once in a while over the past few months, and I know it's because of Tegan.

She flashes her gummy grin and sets her guitar back in the case, shutting it gently. She looks down to her watch to check the time, and frowns. "I have to be home in forty minutes, we should probably get going so I have time to drop you off."

"I don't wanna go," I pout and crawl in between her legs, resting my hands on top of hers and try to distract her by kissing her sweetly. It works, for a few minutes anyway.

"Sara," she chuckles, pushing me away by my sternum. "If I'm not home by 10:30 we won't be able to hang out at all. Do you want that?"

"No." I grumble and hop off the equipment box, grabbing my hot cocoa and her guitar case as she packs up the skates and leads us back to her truck.

It's a completely silent ride the whole way back to my house. The windows are slightly rolled down, mixing the sound of the wind blowing in with the music playing softly in the background, and our hands linked together, resting on the middle console. She pulls up to my driveway and I sigh. I really don't want this night to end. I just want to sit in the bed of Tegan's truck and kiss her all night. If only...

"Well, uhm, I hope you had a good time tonight." She tells me, leaning across the console to kiss me goodnight.

"It was a great first date, Tee. Thank you. Maybe you'd even want to take me on another one sometime?" I proposition, biting my lip.

"Okay," she nods with a smile. "I promise I won't make you do anything involving sports."

"Great," I laugh, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening my door. "Text me when you get home so I know you made it, alright?"

"You got it. I'll see you at school on Monday then."

"Night, Tee." I lean over again, making sure to get one last, great kiss in for the night.


	8. Bathrooms and Garages

**A/N: **I'm not even sure if anyone is reading this, but if you are and you find a bunch of grammatical errors, I apologize, I didn't proofread.

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**Sara's POV**

The cheap alcohol left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I didn't say anything. I scrunch my face in disgust and set the drink on the coffee table to my right. Stacy sits to my left, nursing her own concoction and the rest of our friends sit among us, talking and laughing loudly.

I was hoping I would be spending my Saturday with Tegan but she was out of town competing in the championships for girl's high school hockey. She said she would have invited me but after my little scene with her parents, there was no way in Hell that was happening.

I take a sip of my of drink and pull my phone out of my hoodie pocket and open my texts with Tegan. I just wanted to talk to her but she hasn't texted since around eight o'clock this morning. Throughout the day I had continued texting her, tying not to be too annoying but I was just so bored.

"Sar, hey," Stacy nudges me in the side and holds out the short purple bong to me along with a lighter. I grab it and take a hit, passing it off to the next person. I blow out the smoke through my nostrils and pick my phone back up, opening up a game of Scrabble to try and pass the time. The phone vibrates in my hand silently, exiting my game, before the incoming text screen pops up.

I grin and stand up, excusing myself to the bathroom. I latch the door shut and open the message eagerly.

"Hey! We won! Province champions! Go Cowboys! Hah. Sorry I couldn't talk all day, but thanks for all the good luck! We're still on our way home but I'll text you in a little bit when it's okay for you to call me, okay?"

I smile and then sigh, hitting the reply button.

"Congrats! I knew you'd kick ass! I'll be waiting for your text. :)"

I hit send and place my phone back in my pocket, then turn to the mirror attempting to straighten my unruly hair a bit.

_Knock knock knock._

I grab the door knob then open the door a crack and look up. Stacy. Her eyes are completely red and barely open, completely blazed. She smirks and pushes her way in, cornering me against the small counter. This is how it usually goes so I'm prepared and turn my cheek before she her lips reach my own. Her lips and tongue come into contact with my cheek, leaving a wet mark after she pulls away.

"C'mon Sar. We always do this." She whines, playing with one of the strings on my hoodie.

"Well we aren't tonight," I swat her hand away, annoyed. She knows how I feel about Tegan and that we've been sort of seeing each other so she should also know that I wouldn't want to do anything with her, even if it didn't mean anything.

"_C'monnn,_ it's not like you and Tegan are together. She hasn't even told you she's actually gay yet." She retorts venomously. Woah. Talk about being sensitive.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't like me." I scowl and cross my arms. "Just find something else's throat to shove your tongue down."

Her draw drops and I push my way past her back into the main part of the basement to grab my backpack and walk out with a quick goodbye to everyone. I unlock my bike from the skinny tree it rests against and pedal to the lake.

Lying on my back on the dock, the stars seem extra bright and visible tonight. My phone rests on my stomach, waiting to hear from Tegan. I can't stop thinking about her and Stacy said. She knew she struck a nerve with her words. Of course I was afraid that Tegan was just confused and really wasn't gay. If we did end up getting together and then broke up because I was just her experiment, I would be heartbroken. My eyes shut tightly and I try to will the insecurities away but the drugs are making my mind race more than usual. My phone buzzes and, thankfully, pulls me out of my thoughts. I scan the text from tegan quickly and hop to my feet to get on my bike and dial Tegan's number. She gushes about the game, pausing only to take a quick breath here and there and to let me get in a word or two.

Before I know it, I'm in front of her house. There's a dim light coming from her bedroom window, but other than that, the house is completely dark.

"Are your parents asleep?" I ask.

"Yup." She replies.

"Look out your window." I grin and see her curtains sway back and forth and then her smiling face appears.

I wave and continue to smile. "Come outside for a minute, yeah?"

I see her nod and disappear behind her curtains. "Meet me behind the detached garage." She says then hangs up.

I wheel my bike through her drive way and lean it against the side of the garage and wait.

She walks out a minute later, shutting the back door with caution and silently walks over to me with wet hair and in her pajamas.

"What are you doing here?" She whispers with a smile.

"I wanted to see you." I grab her hands and move forward, kissing her slowly.

She pulls away and takes a deep breath with a goofy smile. "Well hello to you too."

I giggle and run my fingers through my shaggy hair. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of kissing her, even when we're both old and wrinkly.

There's a short moment of silence then we both open our mouths to speak.

"There's something I wanted to tell you," we say in unison and then burst out in muffled laughter, covering our mouths. Sometimes we were so in sync, it was crazy.

"You first," I say.

"Okay, well," she takes a deep breath and my heart rate increases. Was she going to say the same thing as me? "After the game, a scout from the University of Vancouver offered me a full ride to play hockey for them."

"Oh wow Tee, baby, that's awesome! You accepted it, right?!" I praise her and pull her into a tight bear hug, squeezing her body against mine.

She laughs happily in my ear and hugs me back. "Did you just call me baby?" She whispers, her cold breath invading my ear.

I pull away and bite my lip. This is it. "Uhm, yeah, I guess I did. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's just no one's ever called me that before. But personally I think I like Tee better. You sound cute when you say it." She chuckles, entwining our fingers and letting our hands swing back and forth in the space between our bodies. "Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

I take a deep breath, feeling extremely nervous, and look her in the eye. "Kind of. I was wondering how you would feel about becoming my girlfriend?"

"Oh," She smiles and looks down, pondering her answer. It feels like an eternity before she speaks. "If I say yes, do we have to tell anyone?"

I frown and feel my mood plummet, even though I understand why she would want, or need, to keep it a secret. "If you don't want us to, we don't have to."

"Okay then yes, I would love to be your girlfriend, Sara." She grins that smile I love so much and brushes her lips against mine. I grab her hips and pull her into my body.

"So Vancouver, huh?" I mumble into her mouth between kisses.

She laughs breathily. "Yep. My parents didn't seem too excited though since it isn't and Ivy League school but I'm going to take it, I think. They have an amazing hockey team and it could probably take me far, career wise."

"You want to be a professional hockey player?" I smile and push her up against the garage wall and nap at her bottom lip. "I think that's really sexy."

She laughs and runs her tongue across her bottom lip. "Either that or a musician."

"Mmm, that's sexy too." I lean in and kiss her as my hands snake up her arms to pin her wrists against the wall.

"What do you wanna be?" She asks, avoiding my lips with a grin.

"I don't know. Someone that helps people, or just a wife."

"Really?" She laughs, trying to cover her mouth.

"What?" I pout, scrunching my eyebrows.

"Nothing. I just think it's weird that _you _would just want to be someone's wife."

"Why is that so funny? I'm OCD so everything would always be spotless, I like to take care of people, _and _I'm open minded in the bedroom. I'm a very simple person. What more could you want?" I run my finger down her front and she blushes, turning away.

"I hope you're not think about that already. We've been official for like ten minutes, you're going to have to wait a lot longer than that. A lot." She says kind of sternly while looking to the ground.

I chuckle and grab her chin gently, lifting her face and look her in the eye. "Hey, I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want, ever. And I agree, it is way too early for that. Besides, if I was just looking to get laid, I wouldn't want to be with you so much. I'm glad it's something you find sacred and that you want it to be special. I want everything to be special with you, so we'll go at your pace and whatever you find comfortable and want to do. Okay?"

"You really know how to make a girl blush, you know that?" Tegan laughs, pulling me forward. I rest my forehead against hers and smile, looking into her sparkling eyes that are so easily to get lost in.

**Tegan's POV**

This wasn't exactly how I had pictured Sara and I getting together, but it still felt right. Everything about her felt right. If I could just stay with her like this all night, just holding onto each other, I would be the happiest person alive.

I intertwine my fingers together on the small of her back, and lean in as close as I can. Sara's eyes won't leave mine and it sends shivers down my spine, the connection intense. The sensation it creates is new, but I welcome it, and crave more of it. I purse my lips and she does as well, giving us a barely there kiss. She smiles, twirling a chunk of my hair in her fingers and moves to rest her head on my shoulder.

"Tegan?" She whispers, reaching to remove my hands from around her back and I momentarily panic over thinking she is having second thoughts already.

"Yeah?" I tense up, sure she can feel my shoulder digging into her cheek and drop my arms.

"There's a light on. Someone's up." She points to a second story window and my stomach drops. If my parents ever saw me around Sara, I would be dead meat.

"Shit. Shit shit shit." I step away from garage and Sara's already getting back on her bike. I open my mouth to say something but she stops me with her hand.

"Go, it's fine. I don't want you to get in trouble." She sighs, kicking her kick stand up and wheeling slowly over to me, grabbing my hand and kissing it then nuzzling her cheek into it. "I'll text you when I get home, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry, and uhm, thanks." I mutter awkwardly, then curse myself. Who the hell gets asked out and then says thank you?

She chuckles and kisses me quickly before peddling away down the street. I watch until I can't see her being lit by the streets lights anymore and quickly head back inside. I tip toe up the stairs and through the halls, spotting my destination, and think I'm not going to get caught. I reach for my doorknob and hear the bathroom door open.

"Tegan? Were you just outside? What are you doing?" My dad inquires quietly.

I grimace and slowly turn around, trying to quickly think of a lie and look as possibly not guilty as I can. "I, uh, I thought I forgot my phone charger in my truck so I went to go check."

He looks to my hands, seeing they're completely empty of a charger _and _car keys. _Damnit_. "Why would that be in your truck?" He raises his eyebrows at me, causing the wrinkles on his forehead to protrude.

"Oh, uh, I had it with me at the library last night and couldn't find it in my backpack so I thought I would just check. It must just be in my room somewhere. I'm going to look for it then go to bed." I fake a yawn and push my door open.

He narrows his eyes, probably not believing me, but lets it slide. "Alright. We're going to church early tomorrow so find it and get to sleep. Got it?"

"Yes sir." I nod and slip into my room, letting out a deep breath. That was close. I fall onto my bed face first, exhausted. What have I just gotten myself into?


	9. Guitars and Bongs

**A/N: **Oh wow, you guys! Twelve reviews on the last chapter! I think that's the most I've ever gotten in a single one. Thank you and keep it up, please! It definitely motivates me to update sooner (only if life doesn't get in the way) and to write better, which I think I did in this chapter! It's also the longest chapter yet as well! I feel like it turned out pretty cute and I hope you agree! Things are going to be picking up a bit in the next few chapters, and eventually you will learn why this fic is rated M! Keep letting me know what you like/don't like/whatever and you can always send me a PM for whatever reason as well. Enjoy! :)

Also, to the person who wanted this updated by today, I hope I'm not too late! And if I am, I apologize and at least you will have a few chapters to look forward to whenever you get back!

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**Sara's POV**

I sigh, stretching out the sore muscles in my fingers of my left hand, hoping to ease the tension a little. The sound of my knuckles cracking breaks the silence and I sigh again. Tegan chuckles breathily behind me and I feel her thighs spread open another inch or two. I snuggle backwards, leaning my backside into her chest and resting my cheek on her relaxed shoulder. I stare at the veins and tendons in her neck, covered slightly by the loose strands of hair that didn't make it into her messy pony tail. There's a slight shiver in my spine and I smile. Every last bit of her was so attractive. She turns her head to the side and one of the wavy hairs move, like a snake slithering across her skin. I lean forward, pressing my lips to her sweet skin.

"I never thought this would be so hard." I grumble against her skin.

She chuckles again, nudging her shoulder forward to get me to sit back up. "It's not. You're just being a baby."

I groan, straightening my back out, and hug the acoustic guitar, which I'm pretty sure is bigger than I am, closer to my chest. She wraps her fingers around my own over the neck of the guitar.

"Put this finger," Tegan grabs my pointer finger and bends it, pushing it against one of the thinner strings, "here, then put these two," she grabs my middle and ring finger, placing them a string lower, "here. That makes it an E. Now strum."

I run my thumb over the worn strings and the note rings out flawlessly. Tegan squeezes my hip and I swell with accomplishment. Now if only I could get the next note down, maybe she would reward me with something better than just a simple squeeze.

"Good job. Now move your fingers like this," she spreads my fingers apart and presses them to hold the strings in place. "Strum."

She pulls her hand away at the last second and the guitar makes an awful sound as I run my thumb down the strings. I cringe, letting go of the guitar. "This is useless. I quit." My fists pound against my mattress in frustration.

"C'mon Sara. You have long fingers, I know you can do it." Tegan encourages, wrapping her hand around my own balled up one.

"I'd rather be doing other things with my fingers," I mutter under my breath.

"Like play piano?" She asks, gently massaging the cramps out of my finger.

"Yeah, sure." I bite my lip, stifling a laugh. She was so clueless and _innocent_. I couldn't wait to take that away from her.

I push the guitar off of my lap and get on my knees, facing Tegan. I place one hand on her upper thigh, and grab her chin gently with the other, then lean into kiss her.

She slowly pulls away and looks to my open bedroom door worriedly. "Sara, your parents."

"Don't worry, they won't come up here. Even if they did, it wouldn't be a big deal. It's not like I can knock you up." I kiss her cheek.

She giggles and lets me resume kissing her until my parents call us down for dinner.

I made a special request for what my mum to make tonight because I know how Tegan has to eat because of her own mum. Pigs in a blanket and homemade mac and cheese. Yum.

"Have you ever had these?" I ask, watching Tegan eye her plate.

"Nope." She replies.

"It's just a hot dog wrapped in a crescent roll." I explain, squirting ketchup onto my plate.

"Oh." She laughs and folds her hands, praying. My parents have already dug in, just as happy as I am with tonight's meal. I rest my hands in my lap, waiting for Tegan to finish. She lifts her head and glances up to me, smiling weakly. I smile wide and dig into my pasta, covered in stringy, gooey, delicious cheese.

"So, Tegan, Sara told me you were offered a full ride to UBC to play hockey. That's fantastic. I bet your parents are very proud of you." Dad smiles warmly in between bites.

I glance at Tegan, curious to how she will answer. I am sure her parents are proud, but that didn't stop them from getting into an argument over whether she should take it or not.

"Uh, yeah, I guess they are." She mutters, looking down and shifts awkwardly in her seat.

I frown and set my fork down. I rub Tegan's back soothingly, wishing I could give her the support and acceptance she needed. "I'm super proud of you, Tee. I can't wait to see you rock it out there on the rink." I say, hoping it will make her feel better.

"Bruce and I very proud of you also, Tegan." Mum chimes in. "We're so glad Sara found someone as well rounded as you are. Sara should feel very lucky."

"I definitely do," I wrap my foot around Tegan's ankle and smile wide at her.

"Thanks Mrs. Clement." Tegan blushes.

The rest of dinner passes in comfortable silence and Tegan and I head back upstairs once we help clean up. She plops down onto my bed face first and hugs one of my thick, fluffy pillows to her chest. She smiles at me and snuggles her face into the cushion, inhaling the scent.

I step up to the edge of my bed and play with her foot, tugging at the wool sock. "You know, I'm beginning to think you just like me for my bed."

"It smells good." She snuggles in more, burying her face completely.

I grin as my heart swells. Tegan was too cute for her own good. Mum was definitely right, I was extremely lucky. I climb onto the bed and hover over her, lowering my body gently onto her back side. I notice the tips of her ears go red. I gently press my lips to the cartilage, trailing lower behind her ear and down her jaw. Her laughter is muffled by the pillow and she turns her head, peeking at me out of the corner of her eyes. "Stop it." She giggles.

I chuckle and shake my head. "Make me."

She wiggles her body, trying to shake me off. I'm sure she doesn't even know she's doing it but her bum is grinding right into my crotch. My eyes flutter shut as I bite my lip hard, trying to stop the wetness forming between my legs.

"You'll have to try harder than that," I practically moan in her ear, pinning her arms above her head and pressing my body harder into hers. The mattress groans as it sinks even lower, making it sound like something is going on in my room that shouldn't be.

Tegan's hair tickles my cheek as she squirms and in only seconds I am on my back, trapped by Tegan's strong arms and legs.

"Did you forget I'm about ten times stronger than you?" Tegan grins smugly, ghosting her lips over mine just so I can feel her hot breath. Such a damn tease.

I raise my head, trying to capture her lips with mine. She laughs and lifts her body, still keeping her hold on me. I tense my arms, trying to escape, but I can't even lift my arms off the bed, she is that strong. I grunt and try to kick my legs, but that's no use either.

"Surrender." She says cockily.

"Never." I grit through my teeth, raising my hips to hers. Hopefully I can distract her by getting her aroused.

She pushes back with equal force with her hips and rolls her eyes playfully. "I'm a virgin Sara, not stupid."

I feel my face flush with embarrassment over getting caught, but I still won't give up. This is the closest I'm going to be able to get to Tegan without it getting too heated. I'm not just going to let it pass.

"Just give in." She taunts, brushing her nose against mine, never letting her stare leave mine.

I blink and look into her chocolate brown eyes. They reminded me of the chocolate river in Willy Wonka's factory. I've never seen them so alive. I trail my gaze lower to the small mole right cheek and then to her lips. They're so inviting, I just want to...

"If you do, I'll let you feel me up." Tegan continues to tease.

I widen my eyes and then narrow them, not believing her. She said she wanted to take it slow. "When? And over or under your clothes?"

She chuckles. "Next time you come over to my house and.. hmm.. under the shirt but over the bra."

"Okay, I surrender." I say without hesitation, letting my muscles completely relax. I didn't know when the next time I would be able to go to Tegan's without her parents there, but hey, at least I knew it was going to happen sometime.

She laughs and loosens her hold, letting her body completely relax on top of mine. She nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck and hums. I feel her lips touch my neck and I sigh, wrapping my arms around her waist, just holding her. Don't get me wrong, I loved kissing Tegan, but sometimes I was convinced this was even better. I could feel her whole being relax just by being close to me like this, and I knew just by that touch that no one had ever been this for her before. I was special to her.

I close my eyes and run my hand up her back, to her ponytail. Her hair is soft under my touch and I pull the hair tie out, running my fingers through her hair and start massaging her scalp.

"I've never felt like this before," she sighs, lifting her head.

I smile and tuck her fallen hair behind her ears. "Like what?" I ask curiously.

"Like.. like everything is okay." She lays back down and reaches for my hand, linking our fingers. "I don't have to be anything but myself with you because there are no expectations with you. I don't have to constantly worry about pleasing, or disappointing, you. I just have to be me, and that's it. I've never had that before."

Oh wow. I may only be seventeen, but I was sure that years from now when Tegan and I looked back on our relationship, this would be the defining moment that we knew it was love, even if didn't admit it then.

"Oh babe," I squeeze her hand and roll us so we are both on our sides. I don't even know what to say to her. It was a moment where only our actions could speak for us. I stroke her cheek with my thumb and move forward, smashing our lips together.

She smiles into it, and I do as well, our lips barely even grazing now. It's technically not even a kiss, but it's the best one I've ever had. She pulls away, only to move back in for one more quick peck before falling onto her back.

I prop myself up on my elbow and trace small shapes on the exposed skin near her collar bone. She watches me watch her, and it's just another perfect moment I'll never forget. That is until my phone rings.

I sigh and lean over Tegan's body, grabbing my phone off the night stand. I look at the screen and see Stacy's name. I start to set it back down, ready to just ignore it but Tegan stops me.

"Answer it."

**Tegan's POV**

Sara grabs my hand as she leads me down the concrete basement stairs of Stacy's house. Like with my friends, I had only ever talked to hers at school, and it hadn't been all that much. We reach the bottom and the room opens up to a dimly lit space filled with old couches and chairs. There's only about five people lounging around, but I only recognize three. Stacy, of course. Then her other close friend Ted and some guy I think is named Jack.

Sara walks us over to a blue recliner and sits down, scooting over as far as she can. She pats the spot next to her and I wiggle my way in, our thighs pressed tightly against one another. Her arm rests across my shoulders as she plays absentmindedly with my hair while watching her friends take hits from a bong.

Stacy blows out the smoke and hands it to Sara, eyeing us up and down with a slight scowl. "So are you guys like actually together then?"

Sara rests the glass against her knee and looks at me, waiting. I had to be the one to answer since I was the one calling the shots in our relationship. I look to her friends, thinking it over. I knew none of them would care, or that it would get back to my parents through them, and plus it would make Sara happy.

"Yeah, we are." I answer, looking Sara in the eye.

She grins and nudges her shoulder into mine. I laugh and look down, biting my lip. It definitely felt good to have someone know other than her parents.

"Damn, all the cute ones are always gay." One of the guys sitting on the floor says and everyone else laughs.

I blush, feeling Sara grab my face. She squishes my cheeks between her thumb and pointer finger, making my lips purse out like a fish. "Yeah, she's pretty cute," she giggles and kisses my lips. She lets go with a smirk and puts the bong on my knee, waiting for me to lean down and put my lips against it so she can do the rest for me since I don't exactly know what I am doing.

I blow the smoke out in one big cloud and immediately start coughing, just like last time. Sara begins patting my back and rubbing wide circles, calming me down. "Easy there, Smokey the Bear," she laughs.

I laugh and shoot her a playful glare. She squeezes my knee and cuddles into me. I focus on her touch and let my mind wander while I feel the drug take its effect. Three months ago if someone would have told me this would be my life, I would have been shocked and never believed it, but now that it's actually happening, I wouldn't want it any other way.

"Tee, hey." Sara says in my ear and I blink, letting moisture back in my eyes. She's holding the bong out and I take another hit, smaller this time. Only after a few minutes, I can really feel it start to get to me. My head feels light, I can't seem to not smile, and my skin is all tingly. I cross my legs, really feeling it between my legs.

Sara starts tracing light circles on my upper thigh, not realizing what it's doing to me. I uncross and cross my legs over and over again, somehow trying to get the feeling to go away but I'm pretty sure there's only one solution.

"You alright, babe?" Sara whispers warmly in my ear. I shiver and turn towards her, nodding. She smirks, roaming her eyes knowingly down my body to her hand. Her hand moves inward towards my inner thigh and she whispers again in my ear. "You're turned on, aren't you?"

My skin grows warm and I try not to smile as I shrug my shoulders. I knew I definitely was, but that still didn't mean I was ready to go that far with Sara yet. I still had moments yet while we were even just making out, but I didn't think tonight would be one of them.

She chuckles and grabs my hand, running the pad of her thumb over my skin. "Want to go make out in your truck?"

I nod hurriedly and let Sara say goodbye for the both of us and lead us out to my truck with her hands on my hips the entire time. I felt kind of bad, leaving so quickly, but honestly I would rather just be with Sara and I didn't really feel like Stacy wanted me there. Sara denied it when I asked, but I really think Stacy has feelings for Sara and probably hates me because now Sara can't, and won't, mess around with her anymore.

I fumble with my keys, trying to unlock my door as fast as I can while Sara leans against the side tapping her foot, waiting impatiently. After what feels like hours I finally tug my door open and climb in, letting Sara straddle me once I get comfortable. She pulls the door shut and reaches for the back my hair, tugging at it while she starts moving her hips against mine, giving me a sort of lap dance. I grab for hips, holding them tightly as I already try to regulate my breathing.

"Now you understand why I enjoy smoking, yeah?" She snickers, taking my bottom lip between her teeth and pulling back.

I whimper and move with her, letting her guide as she slips her tongue into my mouth. _Oh god_. I grab onto her hips tighter and try to keep up with her as she sucks on the tip of my tongue. I lose sense of everything and let my body relax, moving my hands down to rest on her thighs. I let her do what she wants with her mouth, feeling her suck and bite on my neck, that are sure to leave marks I'll have to desperately try to hide in the morning around my parents but right now, I couldn't care less. I've never believed in the paranormal before, but what ever it is she is doing with her tongue is not of this world.

I let out a low moan, not even caring anymore that such a sexual sound is coming from me and I can feel Sara smile and she bites a little harder on my collar bone. I grip her thighs tight enough to leave little finger tip shaped bruises and roll my head to the side, giving her more ground to cover. I happen to glance up and see Stacy standing right outside my truck, glaring at me through the window. I shriek and Sara pops her head in fright, knocking the crown of her head into my bony jawline.

"Ow..." She groans and sits up. "What's the matter?"

I cock my head to the side and her eyes widen as she sees Stacy with her hands on her hips, not pleased. She makes a motion to me to roll down the window and I do.

"Uhmm... hi?" I say awkwardly, still trying to catch my breath.

She taps her fingers against her hip and points to her right with her thumb. "You guys think you can control yourselves for a minute and move? You're blocking Ted in and he's got to give Jack a ride home."

I glance in the side view mirror and see Ted waiting behind the wheel. How long had he been waiting? How long had Sara and I been out here? Did I miss curfew?!

Sara dismounts me and settles into the passenger seat with a scowl, wiping her moist lips off. I mouth a "sorry" to Ted and start my truck up.

"Sorry Stacy. It, uh, won't happen again. Goodnight." I mumble to her and put the truck in drive.

"Yeah, bye." She gives us both a dirty look before disappearing back into her house.

I turn to Sara, sitting with her arms and legs crossed, pouting. I laugh and pull onto the street, heading back towards town.

"She has seriously got to get that stick out of her ass soon. It's not my fault if you're a better kisser, and better _everything _than she is." She leans back into the seat and plays with the zipper of her hoodie.

I smile at her mopey attitude and grab her hand, bringing towards my face and pecking it lightly. "You're right. It's all my fault, but not one bit of me cares."


	10. A Piano and Beds

**A/N: **Y'all are demanding little things, aren't ya? I slaved away to get this done by tonight when I get home from work earlier, so Merry Christmas to all of you reading! It's not too much, but it's something. I hope you enjoy and decide to return the Christmas spirit and review! Thank you!**  
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**Sara's POV**

I repeatedly push the doorbell, impatiently bouncing from foot to foot as I wait for Tegan to answer the door. I pound and pound with my fist against the hard wood until she whips the door open with a huff.

I smile wide and lean on the door frame, tapping against it with my finger. "So this is what your front door looks like."

"Shut up," she chuckles and rolls her eyes, grabbing me by the sleeve of my hoodie and tugging me in. My front collides with hers and she gives the door a light push, letting it shut on its own. "Hey you." I mutter before capturing her lips with mine and grabbing onto her hips, exposed from her low rise sweatpants.

"I missed you," Tegan whispers softly, easing my backpack of my shoulders only to wrap her arms around my neck and pull me closer. She rests her forehead against mine and sighs.

I laugh, tickling her smooth skin with the tips of my fingers and look her in the eye. "You saw me four days ago, and we've talked non stop since."

"I know, but," she smiles and pulls away. She tucks her long locks behind her left ear and exposes her neck, revealing the sizable purple hickey. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about how that felt."

"Yeah?" I bite my lip, eyeing the bruise. Not bad work, Sara, not bad.

"Mhmm. Although it hasn't been easy to hide." She tilts her head and toys with the short hair on the nape of my neck.

"I'd apologize but I'm not sorry. It was just as much fun for me as it was for you, believe me." I grin slyly and crush her lips with mine, letting my tongue slip into hers. She runs her hands down to my waist, pulling me closer. I slip off my shoes and kick them aside before stepping gently onto her socked feet. She reads my mind and holds me tight while she starts to walk towards the staircase, taking me with her.

I feel my body descend and open my eyes a tad, seeing that we are going the opposite of where her bedroom is. I pull away and she stops, resting her bum against the railing. I look at her with questioning eyes and step off her feet, finding my own footing. "Where are we going?" I look down the rest of the steps and try to see what's down there. I didn't even know she had a basement.

"You'll see. There's something I want to show you." She says with a slight nervous shake to her voice. I raise my eyebrows and she gives her a head shake, taking my hand and guiding me down. We reach the bottom and enter another, but less formal, living room. I immediately know why she's brought me down here when I see the expensive, beautiful grand piano in the corner. I let her hand go and look down to the floor. She goes to grab my hand with both of hers and lifts it to her lips, pecking the back of it. "Please?"

I glance back to the piano and feel my stomach drop. I keep telling myself it isn't a big deal, and that I can do it. It's Tegan. _Of course _I can do it. I nod, finally letting myself give in, and crack my knuckles, sitting on the padded bench next to her. She rests her palm on the small of my back and rubs slow circles. "What are you going to play?"

A list of every song my grandma taught me runs through my mind. The options were endless, it was just a matter of if I could remember any of them, but there was one song in particular I knew would never leave me. It was like knowing to ride a bike or being able to recite the alphabet, it would never be erased from my mind.

"Something my Grandma and I worked on together, but it's unfinished." I press down one of the pearly white keys, testing it out, and smile to myself. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed that sound.

"That was beautiful." Tegan cracks a smile and nudges me with her shoulder.

"Did you want me to play or not?" I cock an eyebrow and knock her knee with my own.

She holds her hands up in surrender then folds them in her lap, making her features serious before grinning at me. "Sorry."

I chuckle and lift my other hand, hovering it over the keys. I take a deep breath and touch my fingers down, letting them move on their own across the black and white keys. An unavoidable grin spreads across my face, and I can feel my body lighten. I don't even have to think about I'm doing, the passion just flows right to my fingertips. My eyes flutter shut as I get lost in the feeling I haven't felt in years. Tegan's hand resumes its place on the small of my back and I open my eyes, finding her staring at me with what can only be love in her eyes. I close the few inches between us and kiss her, finishing out the song while our lips lock.

"Thank you," I murmur, holding her neck and thigh. I can feel the effect I have on her racing heart through my finger tips and bite her bottom lip, feeling the skip in the otherwise steady pace.

"No, thank you. I'm glad you felt you could open up to me like that. It was a beautiful song, Sara." She says kindly, breaking the kiss, and then she abruptly stands up. "Let's go to my room."

I smile and nod, teasing her with my hands as I follow her up the stairs by tickling her sides or tapping her bum. She giggles the whole way, swaying her hips to dodge me or swatting my hands away. We get to the top of the second floor and she starts to go right. I look the other way and grin mischievously.

"Babe, wait." I reach for her arm and yank her back. "Is that your parents room?" I point to a closed door at the opposite end of the hall.

"Yeah, why?" She narrows her eyes and looks me up and down.

I laugh and start walking away. "C'mon."

I open the door slowly, causing the wood to groan against the hinges and poke my head inside. When the coast is clear, I swing the door open all the way and head straight for the huge, mahogany bed. I pounce on it and turn onto my back, posing as Tegan catches up.

"What are you doing?" She chuckles at my pose and places her hands on her hips.

I pat the comforter and give her my most seductive expression I can manage. "Waiting for my girlfriend to join me so we can play a little tonsil hockey and gay up her parents room."

She bursts out laughing, revealing that gummy grin I could stare at for the rest of my life and makes her way over the end of the bed. She starts to play with the fringe of a blanket folded neatly up on top of the comforter, hesitant to join me. I flip onto my knees and using all the strength I possibly have, pull her up and on top of my body, and let us fall back.

"Don't think. Just do." I order.

She nods her head and lets the passion take over, smashing her lips into mine.

**Tegan's POV**

Sara and I haven't found ourselves in too many heated situations yet, but each time that we have, she's been in charge. And even though I don't have much experience, I really want to show her that I too have a dominant side, even if it isn't quite as feisty as hers.

I trail my hands down her arms and grab her wrists, pinning them into my Mum's pillow above her head. I roll my tongue against hers and press my hips down. I feel my toes curl and I struggle to remain in control. I've never experienced anything like kissing Sara. It was unbelievable. She must feel the same because a moan escapes her throat and passes into my own, the sensation driving me wild. I falter for only a moment but it gives Sara enough time to flip our positions and she straddles me. Her hands find my hips and she smirks, looking at me through her fallen bangs.

I bite my lip and wait for her to make her move. She winks and slips her hands under my shirt, caressing my skin with her lithe fingers as she travels them upwards to my heaving chest. I close my eyes and smile goofily, remember the deal I made with Sara. The tips of her fingers reach my bra and I freeze up, remembering where I am.

"Wait, Sara. Stop." I pant and instantly her fingers are frozen against my flesh.

She cocks her head to the side and pouts, her moist bottom lip sticking out adorably. "But you promised."

I roll my eyes and giggle. I swear she had the hormones of a teenage boy sometimes. I wrap my fingers around her forearms and pull her arms out from under my shirt. "I never promised anything, but that's not the problem. Can we take this back to my room? I think we sufficiently gayed this room up."

"Yeah, of course babe." She smiles and swings her leg over me and climbs off the bed, holding her hand out to help me. I grab it and slide off the bed, heading towards the door but don't make it far. Sara's still standing by the bed and holding my hand.

"What's wrong?" I crease my brow.

She points to the bed, the sheets all messed up from our fun. "I don't know about you but I don't want you to have to explain to your nutcase parents why their bed looks like this."

I smack my forehead and reach for the sheets, straightening them out. "Good thing one of us has brains and is looking out for me. I don't want even to imagine what would happen if my parents found out about us."

Sara grabs the opposite ends of the sheets and helps. She smiles and lowers her voice to a growly timbre. "We would feel the wrath of God and be doomed to burn in Hell. Ahhh!" She attacks me with her fingers, tickling and poking me.

I gasp and laugh, pushing her away and out the door. I take one last look around to make sure everything is just right and flip the switch, hurrying to catch up to Sara, already opening the door to my room. I walk in and find her sitting in my butterfly chair in the corner near my window. She pats her knees with a smile and push my door shut then move over to her, spreading my legs apart and sitting in her lap.

"Now where were we?" She kisses me softly between my collar bones and slips her hands back under my shirt, grabbing and dragging her nails against my back. I link my fingers together behind her neck and try not to let my nerves get the best of me and just feel what her touch is capable of doing to me. I trust her and that she would never take things too far without my consent or if she knew I was uncomfortable.

She moves her hands around to my stomach, running them over the muscles and continuing her assault on my neck, leaving more marks I'll have to desperately try to hide when my parents return. She move upward, palming my breasts over my sports bra. I suppose my mind knew I wanted this because I can _really _feel every movement over the stretchy, silky material more than I know I would have wearing a normal bra.

I whimper and claw at her neck when she squeezes each of my breasts and runs her thumbs over my nipples. I feel them harden under her touch and she chuckles, running her broad tongue up my neck.

"Ohh..." I breathe and nod. She starts biting up my jaw and to my ear, licking and nipping at my pierced lobe.

"You like that, Tee?" She hums with hot breath right into my ear.

I whimper again, louder this time. The stretchy fabric of my bra goes taught and I feel her starting to tug the straps down to expose my chest to her fingers. My back tenses up and I take a deep breath.

"Sara." I utter and instantly she stops again, knowing just by the tone of my voice that I'm not prepared for that yet. She pulls her hands out from my shirt and wraps them around my shoulders, pulling me down into a hug.

"Sorry." She mumbles against my neck.

"Don't. You're amazing." I whisper back and peck her on the cheek, feeling my muscles relax quickly from her hold. She really was so amazing. She was so good at paying attention to my wants and needs, not even caring if they were the same as hers. _I _came first. I loved it. I just wanted to stay in her arms all night. I lift my head and look into her eyes. I graze my thumb over the small scar under her bottom lip and smile. "Do you want to spend the night?"

"Do you like hockey?" She asks back.

I scrunch my face in confusion, having not a clue what she was going on about. "Huh?"

"Oh, I thought we were asking each other stupid questions." She giggles and then nods, guiding me off her lap and standing up. "Of course I want to spend the night."

"Cool." I grin and head to my dresser to grab her a pair of sweatpants. I turn around and find her standing with her hoodie and pants already off and lying in a pile on the floor. My eyes travel south to her thin legs covered by her black boy shorts and the small space between her thighs. I gulp and she clears her throat. I look back up and blush when I see her smug grin. I smile weakly and hand her the bottoms. She pulls them up and ties the strings snugly to her hips and then jumps onto my bed. I turn the light off and climb in next to her, lying on my back and stare up at the ceiling. This is the first time we're spending the night together as a couple. I know we're just going to be sleeping but I don't know what the protocol was. Was it expected that we were to cuddle? Did I even know how to cuddle with someone? What if I'm bad at it and I smother her? I take a deep breath and grasp at my sheets. Maybe she'll just asleep right away.

As soon as I have the thought I feel her warm breath on my cheek and her arm wrapping around my middle. Her legs tangle with mine and my breath shakes.

"Tegan?" She says quietly.

"Hmm?" I swallow loudly, holding onto her forearm.

"I'm not even tired." She giggles. Her breath blows the short hairs by my ear around and I shiver.

"Me neither." I confess with a smile.

"So kiss me?"


	11. Birthdays and Presents

**A/N: **Not too much to say about this, just more fluffy cute times. Thank you for all the reviews/follows on the last chapter (even if you guys do get a little impatient!). I'll try to get the next update up sooner but I make no promises, and prepare for a plot twist coming up! Things might get a little intense. Keep the reviews coming! I love reading them so much, and they definitely make me want to update more often, and write more! Thank you so much, I appreciate all of you, and enjoy!

Also, WiccanEmo18, I find it so cute and awesome that you and your girlfriend read this together! Thanks! :)

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**Tegan's POV**

The displays were littered with countless flower arrangements, not easing my stress coursing through my body. I didn't know what Sara's favorite flowers were, or even if she had one. I glance over to the only florist working, already helping another customer, and sigh, checking the time on my phone. I have to meet Sara and her family at some fancy restaurant in half an hour for her birthday and I didn't even have all of her gift yet.

I shuffle back over to the roses, scanning the different bouquets. They were classic, so I don't really think I can go wrong with them. I spot a small bundle of red, orange, and yellow ones. Beautiful. I carefully pull them out and head to the counter, checking out the multitude of knick knacks to buy.

The cashier heads over and quickly grab a bar of Godiva chocolate. Sara definitely had a sweet tooth. The cashier, or Kalie as her name tag says, rings me up and I hand her cash, gathering up my items and waiting impatiently for my change. Kalie shuts the register and drops the money into my open palm and I quickly make my way through the jingling door and to my truck, where the rest of Sara's gift sits.

I put the chocolate into the small gift bag with her other presents, careful not to mess the tissue paper up too much. I wasn't even sure if Sara was going to like what I got her, but it was too late to get something else, not that I would even know what to get her. Sara was a simple person,_ too_ simple, and it was impossibly hard to shop for her. We've only been together a couple of months so it was too soon to get her something overly romantic but I still wanted to get her something personal. She wasn't materialistic or very girly, so jewelry was out of the question, as well as basically everything else. I tried to think of things that we had done together but we mostly just talked or made out when we were together. It wasn't that we didn't have anything else to do, we just really enjoyed being alone together, doing nothing.

I pull out of the parking lot, cranking up the music and rolling down the window as I speed to Buchanans, the restaurant. Sara didn't know I was coming, but I still didn't want to be late. I pull into an empty space and hop out, straightening out my black leggings and black top, and tightening up my boots, then grab her presents and head for the entrance.

I spot her dad first, sitting next to Sara's mum and then another girl, who I'm guessing is Sara's sister, and then Sara, sitting with her back to me. Her dad catches my eye and smiles warmly. I smile back and watch Sara turn around, checking to see who it is. My heart flutters when I see her face. Her hair is combed for once, sitting straight and neat, and she's wearing those black rimmed glasses that always make my heart skip a beat. She was so handsome. She breaks out into a huge grin and pushes her chair back, making her way quickly over to me. She stops a few inches in front of me and links her hands together, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Uhmm, hi, here," I say nervously and push her gifts towards her. "Happy Birthday."

She giggles, taking the bouquet and bag, peeking inside. She raises the flowers to her face and sniffs them, smiling then she checks the small tag hanging from it. I didn't know what to write in it, especially since we haven't thrown the L word around yet, so I just settled on 'Happy Birthday Sara. Hope your day is everything you want and more. XO Tee'.

"Thank you, Tee." She says, and eyes me up and down. I hook my ankle over the other and glance over her shoulder, seeing the rest of her family watching us. I blush and look down, feeling so exposed in the crowded restaurant.

"You look real hot in that, Tee." Sara smirks and I peek up at her, blushing harder and smiling. "Can I kiss you?" She asks.

I bite my lip and look around at the people surrounding us. We were still only out to her family and friends, and we acted like we were just best friends at school, but it was her birthday. I couldn't say no, especially since I really wanted her to. I nod and she beams, grinning from ear to ear. Just seeing that smile is enough to want me have everyone in the restaurant watch, without even feeling guilty about it.

She holds her gifts with one hand and cups my cheek with the other and leans in, kissing me sweetly on the lips and then my cheek. She grabs my hand and pulls me towards her family, setting her gifts among her others and pulling my chair out for me.

I thank her and sit down, greeting her family and shaking her sisters hand when she introduces herself. She seems nice and she's pretty. Sara's whole family was good looking, but they didn't look like sisters. Sara looked like her dad and her sister, Casey, looked like her mum.

They continue on with whatever they were talking about before I arrived and listen silently, taking sips from my water. I feel Sara's gaze on me and blink, looking towards her. She smiles and subtly scoots her chair closer to me. She reaches out and rests her hand on top of my thigh, tickling it lightly while she converses with her family, talking about Casey and college. Coincidentally, she goes to UBC, where I have officially decided to play hockey next year. If things continue to go well with Sara, I'm hoping she'll move to Vancouver with me since I know her plans are still open ended about what she wanted to do after school.

The waiter eventually arrives, taking our order. I try to order something relatively cheap since I know I won't be paying for my own meal, even if I insist that I do. I settle on the Macadamia Chicken Salad, earning a giggle from Sara over the health-conscious choice and playful scold from her dad to actually order food. I chuckle but shake my head, sticking with my decision. I enjoy healthy food and I'm pretty sure I've gained a few pounds since I met Sara. I still look the same, but I can feel it, and I think my mum somehow knows too but Sara always feeds me sweets because she knows I don't normally get any. I love her for it, but eventually I'll end up weighing 300 pounds and that won't be fun for either of us.

I place my hand on top of Sara's still playing with my thigh while we wait for the food. I join in the conversation when I feel like it, and pay close attention to Casey whenever she talks about school. She really seems to love it and it just makes me grow more excited to go. I can't wait to leave and finally start my life the way I want to.

The waiter returns after a while with arms full of steaming plates and sets the dishes in front of us. I forego saying a prayer and Sara looks at me curiously, since she usually considerately waited until after I was done. I just smile at her and grab my fork, stabbing a hunk of lettuce. She shrugs and pops a short french fry into her mouth.

Halfway through my salad, I see Sara's hand out of the corner of my eye. She sets a small handful of fries on my plate, nudging my knee with hers. I laugh and roll my eyes, picking up a salty fry and munching on it.

After our plates are cleared off and carried away, Sara opens her presents. My stomach knots and I pray she saves mine for last. She reads my mind and goes for the large gift bag resting on the floor from her sister. She quickly skims the card, an iTunes gift card falling out. She grins and sets it on the table, reaching into the bag, and pulling out her favorite type of hoodie in green and another in blue. She smiles, running her hand over the soft material and sets them in her lap, reaching back in. She retrieves some bags of her favorite candy and a few pairs of crazily patterned socks.

"Thanks Casey!" She says happily and stands up, giving her sister a quick hug. She goes for the boxes next, from her parents and grabs the smaller of the two. Tearing the paper off, her jaw drops when she reveals the brand new 160gb ipod. She looks up to her parents, her dad's arm around her mum's shoulder, both of them smiling wide, delighted to present their daughter with something she would love. She carefully sets the expensive electronic on the table and opens the bigger box, finding an iHome to play her new ipod on. Her jaw drops again and she shakes her head in awe. I guess such nice gifts weren't a common thing in her family. She hops off her chair and goes around the table, slinging an arm over both of them and pulling them in close, smushing her their faces into either side of hers. Both of them chuckle and kiss her on the cheek.

I smile and look down, taking a huge breath, and trying not to think about how my parents never treated me like that. Sure, I got over the top gifts all the time, but that was different. My parents felt like if they showered me with top of the line materialistic items, I would be happy but Sara's parents did it because it made them happy to see Sara happy, and to see that she got what she deserved. It was a gift from the heart.

"Thank you Mum and Dad! You really didn't have to do that, but thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sara squeals gleefully. I look back up and smile over seeing her really smile, her eyes twinkling with happiness. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Well it's not every day your little Bear turns into an adult. Now go open your gift from Tegan, I'm sure it trumps all of ours." Her dad waves her away, acting like the gift wasn't a big deal.

She obeys and takes her seat again, setting my bag in her lap. I gulp nervously. There was no way my gift was the best one, not even by a long shot. She quickly looks to me and back to her bag, kicking her feet back and forth excitedly. She pulls out the first gift, a green leather bound journal for her to write in accompanied by a pen. Both of them are engraved with her initials, SKQ, and random Florence and The Machine lyrics. She brings both items close to her face, reading them, and bites her lip, smiling. She squeezes my knee in appreciation and pulls out the second part to her gift. She eyes the small metal case curiously, probably assuming that it's jewelry. She clicks it open, showing the row of five custom made guitar picks. She smiles as she traces her finger over the first one, printed with a picture of us I took when we were out by the lake one night. The one next to it is a picture of Florence, the one after that has the lyrics "You're the only light" on it from her favorite song, and the other two are different shades of green, made to actually be used for playing the guitar.

I fidget with my fingers, waiting for her to actually say something. She sets the case carefully on the table and looks at her dad. "You were right, her's is definitely the best."

My ears grow warm, and I feel relief. She loved it. Her eyes catch mine and her lips curl upward. She leans in, kissing my cheek and whispering into my ear. "I promise I'll thank you properly later."

I blush harder, a shiver running down my spine, and try to avoid eye contact with her family as she kisses me again, positive that they know what she said and what will happen later tonight when it's just her and I.

"I didn't know you played guitar, Sara." Casey mentions, looking at the picks.

"Tegan's been teaching me. We've been working on Sweet Home Alabama lately but I'm not very good." She says, looking at me with a sly smile.

I chuckle, thinking about how each time I tried to teach her more of the song, she would push the guitar away and kiss me, saying she had learned enough for the day.

She opens her mouth to say something else but is interrupted by a delicious chocolatey cheesecake being placed in front of her. She looks up at the waiter and grins, thanking him graciously. He laughs and nods, lighting each of the eighteen candles before walking away.

She licks her lips and fiddles with her hands in her lap while she impatiently waits for us to sing her happy birthday. After we all of a slice placed in front of us, we all dive right in, trying not to moan over the amazing taste. We finish up and Sara and I end up sharing another piece before we're helping her gather her presents and walk out the restaurant doors. She piles her presents, except for mine, into her parents car and turns to face me.

"Can you hang out for a while?" I ask, then look to her mum.

She nods with a smile and waves us away, telling us to go have fun. Sara high fives me and we both laugh, heading to my truck to go sit at the lake until I have to get back home.

I cut the engine and unbuckle, wiping the perspiration from my palms across my thighs. I turn towards Sara and melt. She was completely zoned out, a dream smile plastered on her face as she rolls a deep red rose petal between her fingers. Her eyes flutter shut as she inhales their sweet scent, and she sighs. I think they were her favorite part of her gift. Perhaps she was more of a traditional girl than I thought.

Another long exhale escapes her parted lips, breaking the silence. I tilt my head to the side, studying her in her own private moment, her eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids, her thoughts racing. I wonder if she is thinking about me.

Extending my hand forward cautiously, I trail my fingertips over her rosy cheek. Her lips widen in a closed mouth smile and she nuzzles into my fingers, pressing them into her skin.

"Sara," I whisper softly, wrapping my unoccupied fingers around the crinkly paper covering the stems of her flowers and pull them out of her grasp, setting them gently in the back seat. She cracks her eyes open a bit and watches as I unbuckle her seat belt and start to crawl over the middle console. I situate myself in her lap and she opens her eyes all the way, smirking and squeezing the tight muscles in my thighs. I run my hands up her thin forearms, bunching up her long sleeve button up to feel her bare skin. She flicks her gaze up and down in time with the movement of my hands. Her skin is so soft and the small light hairs coating her arms tickle my palms.

She smirks and grabs me by the elbows, making me look her in the eye.

"Are you going to give me birthday sex?" She asks in a husky voice.

I laugh and shake my head, leaning in to peck her sweetly. "You wish."

"You got that right. What do you think I wished for when I blew out the candles on my cake?" She sniggers, tightening fistfuls of my top in her hands and brings me flush with her body. I can feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, our breasts pressing together each time our inhales and exhales sync up.

"You goof, it can't come true now that you told me what you wished for!" I laugh at her.

"Oh." She blushes, giggling. "Well I can get a birthday lap dance then, yeah? You're already in position." She slips her hands around to my bum, dancing her fingers across the thin, cotton material.

My body jerks forward involuntarily, away from the ticklish touch. She bursts into a cackle and massages her palms over my cheeks. I squirm across her lap, laughing and trying to avoid her but she is too handsy. I bury my head into her neck, trying to catch my breath. The feeling of Sara's soft lips against the top of my ear takes my focus away from her hands and she whispers with hot breath, "Baby I'm no expert but I don't think this is how a lap dance works."

I groan in heated frustration and sink my teeth into her neck before soothing it with my broad tongue. She yelps in shock and her hands fly off my bottom and to my hips. She beings to moan as I continue to suck and nibble on her supple neck.

I grin triumphantly and settle comfortably back into her lap, tangling my fingers through her hair and mess it up just how I like it.

"Fuck..." Sara mutters, letting out a long sigh. No doubt she is loving me being the one to give a hickey instead of receive it for once. She had been right too, it is just as much fun for the giver as it is the receiver.

My open lips move up her jaw and to her lips. She rolls her tongue with mine, and grips my top, lifting it and guiding it over my head. I pull away from her and lean back, taking the shirt and setting it in the driver's seat. Before I can attach my lips back to hers she presses her palms to my stomach, easing me backwards. I look down to her hands, tracing the muscle stomachs in awe, and I place my hands on the dashboard, breathing heavy.

She leans in, placing a kiss above my bellybutton then moving her lips up and over, covering my ribs and up to the underwire of my bra. I feel the many goosebumps rise as her long tongue slides between my breast. I try to grab onto anything within reach, needing support for the intense feelings coursing through my body.

She continues her sweet, loving kisses to my collar bones and to the faint freckles on my shoulder. I reach out for the collar of her button up and tug, revealing her black bra strap. "Sara," I breathe, pushing on her shoulder. She pulls back, looking up at me through her eyelashes, concerned.

"Too far?"

"No, no," I chuckle. "At least not yet. I just.. want to make things a little more even." I undo her top button and go for the next, until it's hanging open and I can see her cleavage, something I haven't seen since I tried not to stare at it the night in my pool, but no it's perfectly fine to. She's _mine _to ogle.

I kiss her heatedly, feeling her hands snake around to my back, dragging her nails down to my hips. I whimper, biting her lip as I try to find pleasure in the pain. She smiles, releasing her lip and unhooks my bra, guiding the straps down my shoulders and down my arms. I lean back again, letting the padded fabric fall between us. She reaches her hands, palming me and looking at me like I'm the most beautiful thing she's ever laid her eyes on. I blush, taking a deep breath, watching as my nipples harden under her touch. It's the weirdest feeling and sight ever. I've never been a sexual being, or even pictured myself as one, but Sara is definitely making me feel like it.

"You're so breathtaking Tee." She sighs into my skin, swirling her tongue around one of my nipples and closing her mouth around it. She sucks on it lightly before taking it between her teeth and moving her head backwards.

"Holy shit." I grit my teeth, feeling the pleasure _everywhere_, and wanting to desperately cross my legs to alleviate the obvious pressure there. She's making it very hard to want to keep waiting for the perfect moment, but then again, I didn't even know what the perfect moment was. This setting wasn't the most romantic but maybe it was it, maybe tonight was _the_ night and I just didn't know it yet.

When she moves her hands back to my bum, much less obnoxiously this time, and she tucks the tips of her fingers under the elastic band of my legging, I don't panic and stop her, but my phone does.

She groans loudly, letting the material go and snapping it back against my skin, staring up at my chest as I reach over to grab my phone. I cross an arm over my chest, now feeling exposed, and turn off the annoying alarm.

"Curfew." I mutter apologetically, setting the phone back down and grabbing for my bra.

"Urgh, you're parents don't even know about us and they're the biggest cock block ever." She groans, beginning to button up her shirt.

"I know, I'm sorry. But hey, it's better than nothing, right?" I smile weakly, hoping I didn't spoil her birthday too much.

"Yeah," she smiles cutely and helps me put my top back on, smoothing out the wrinkles to rid the evidence. "Thanks for giving me the best birthday ever. You definitely leave quite the challenge for when yours comes up."

I climb back into my seat, earning a smack on the bum as it sticks up in the air. I laugh, swatting her hand away and turning the key in the ignition, feeling happier than I ever have.


	12. Candles and A Couch

**A/N: **The only thing I have to say about the on goings in this chapter is ..._dun dun dun!_

In other news, I love you all and all of your favorites/follows/reviews! Seriously, nothing puts me in a better mood than waking up at 5 for work and seeing my inbox filled! :) So thank you very much and please keep it up!

And one last thing I also mentioned in my other fic, Side Effects, is that I'm doing a collaboration with **uponarainbow **(I know how much you guys love her!) called **By The Skin Of Their Teeth **so if you wanna check that out, do it! Thanks and enjoy!

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**Tegan's POV**

_Have to go see Stacy. Can't hang out. Sorry._

My eyes scan over the vague text for the hundredth time, and I furrow my eye brows. Something wasn't right and Sara wasn't telling me what. I hop out of my truck and slam the door shut in frustration and trudge back into the empty house.

I understand that Sara and Stacy are best friends, and that I've been taking all of Sara's time up, outside _and_ during school, so she probably wants to spend some time with her but I didn't think she would ditch me just minutes before I was supposed to pick her up.

I felt the panic set in as I reached the front door. I must have done something wrong. Sara probably felt smothered and like she needed a break from me but Sara was too sweet to come right out and say that, knowing it would hurt my feelings, but this hurts too.

I take a deep breath of oxygen and shake my hands at my sides, trying to will my nerves away as I solemnly step up each stair and into my room. I toss my things onto my night stand, strip down to my underwear, and put on a pair of thin cotton lounge shorts and Sara's blue hoodie she left here last week. I can't help the smile form over feeling the soft material on my bare chest and how it felt when it was Sara's hands on them.

The comfort of my bed envelopes me and I pull the hood up, completely wrapped up in the faint scent of Sara still lingering on the fabric. The tears start to fall involuntarily as I think of all the ways Sara will inevitably break up with me until I fall into a fitful sleep.

It's completely dark outside my window when I wake up to Sara's ringtone ringing loudly. I groan lowly and roll over, hugging a fluffy pillow to my body while the call goes to voicemail. Not even a minute later I hear a text come through, then another, and then another. I ignore them all and try to go back to sleep. I'm not prepared to hear or read about how Sara doesn't want to be with me anymore.

My eyelids are just starting to droop again when I hear a rhythmic _tink tink tink_ against the glass of my window. Sara? Oh shit. I throw the blankets off my body and straighten the hoodie out, zipping it all the way up to my neck. I can see the flickering of orange hued lights through my sheer curtains and peel one side back, squinting outside onto the driveway.

There are dozens of lit white candles placed on the ground, lighting up the driveway and arranged to spell out 'Prom?'. My heart skips and I look up to see Sara standing behind them, holding a single red rose and smiling, but also looking completely nervous, and slightly guilty. I smile down at her, feeling silly for even thinking there was something wrong between us and feeling on top of the world over being asked to prom. I just can't help being a cliched teenage girl sometimes.

She waves me down and I let the curtain go, bounding down the stairs and out the front door. I stop a foot in front of her and she bites her lip, chewing on it anxiously, and holding the flower out to me. I politely accept it, twirling it in my fingers as I fall harder for Sara than I thought was possible. God, she is so adorable and sweet. I can't get enough of it. I fly forward and throw my arms around her shoulders, squeezing her tightly as I bury my face into her neck. She chuckles into my hair, blowing wisps of it around and wraps her arms around my middle, pulling me flush against her.

"Is that a yes?" Sara asks with a giggle, kissing my temple and running her hands up my back, making the soft inside of the hoodie tickle my skin.

"Yes!" I laugh. I kiss her cheek before pulling away and admiring the flower and candles some more. It was like a scene out of a movie, and the upcoming scenes were only going to get better. My mind fills with images of Sara in a silky dress, or tuxedo, and asking me to dance. I'll graciously accept her hand, wearing my own dress, and we'll dance across the decorated gym, lost in our own world and I won't give any thought to who sees us together.

I let out a contented sigh and push my hair back, tucking it back behind my hood. Sara reaches up for my hand and pulls it into her, holding it against her stomach, while grabbing my chin with her other. I look up at her and smile. She frowns, pushing the hood back and inspects my face without the obstruction of shadows.

"Were you crying?" She asks sadly, trailing her finger down the mark left by the dried tears.

I press my lips together and nod, gently turning my head and pushing her hand away. "I thought you were going to break up with me."

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. I just wanted you to be surprised is all. I have no intention of ever breaking up with you, okay? I promise." She soothes, stroking my cheek with the back of her fingertips, then she lightly kisses away all of my insecurities from earlier.

"Well you definitely surprised me. Where did you learn to be so romantic?" I lean in and kiss her on the lips.

"Internet." She grins goofily.

I roll my eyes and chuckle. This girl was too adorable. "Do you want to come inside?" I look down and smile, shuffling my feet against the concrete.

"Duh." She beams knowingly. "I need to clean these candles up first though."

"Where did you even get all of these? Sara did you steal these?" I scold teasingly.

"Me, steal? Clearly you don't know me at all Tegan Quin." She laughs with a smirk.

I shake my head and laugh along with her as we both bend down and pick up a candle, blowing them out one by one until they're all extinguished and piled in a bag back in the basket of her bike. She wheels it over to her usual spot, by the side of the detached garage, and links her fingers with my awaiting ones and lets me guide her inside the house and down into the basement.

I set the rose down with care on a coffee table and join Sara on the couch. She shrugs her new green hoodie off and discards it to the side. The wide neck of her shirt hangs off to one side, revealing her blue bra strap. I feel a jolt of pleasure go straight to my core and I press my thighs together, feeling my heart rate increase. Lately, the feelings have been getting more intense as each encounter Sara and I have and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold off until I let her take me and make me completely hers.

She sits up on her knees and throws a leg over both of mine, straddling me. Slowly, she leans in with a wicked grin and catches my lips in a deep kiss. I feel my muscles start to relax and she pulls away to rest her forehead against mine. She toys with the zipper of my hoodie and smirks. "I really am sorry about making you upset, Tee." She tugs the zipper down a few inches and kisses me again. "Let me make it up to you?" She purrs. _Oh God._

"O-Okay," I stutter with shaky breath, completely forgetting that I'm not wearing a shirt or bra.

She grips either side of my jaw tightly in her hands and moves in, kissing me desperately and slipping her tongue into my shocked mouth, letting it graze across my own.

** Sara's POV**

I smile over hearing the sharp intake of breath Tegan makes when I slide my tongue against hers without warning. I feel awful for making her cry, I really do, so I'm hoping she'll let me make it up to her by making her feel like she's on cloud nine.

I unzip the rest of her, well _my_, hoodie and push it off her shoulders, letting my hands roam down her front. I'm surprised to be met with her smooth, soft skin and pull back, trailing my gaze south.

"Well hello." I smile happily when I'm met with her nipples pointing to attention, right at me.

"I wasn't expecting company." She mumbles hurriedly, clearly embarrassed. She grabs either side of the hoodie and pulls it back to cover her chest, hugging her arms to her stomach.

"I see that." I chuckle and grab her wrists, pulling them away so the jacket falls back open. "But that doesn't you mean have to put them away." I smile and palm her chest, moving my hands in lazy circles, letting her stiff buds gently tickle the center of my palms. "I like them. A lot."

She blushes and lets out a deep breath, trying to stop herself from smiling over the compliment. I start kissing her jaw, up her ear, and down her neck while getting more aggressive with my hand movements.

Tegan starts whining quietly, which drives me absolutely crazy, and squirms against the couch, incidentally pressing her thigh between my legs. I place my hands on her shoulders, steadying myself while she sets a rhythm to her movements. I press my hips down further and rock back and forth, riding her thigh. It doesn't take long for her to figure out what I'm doing and react.

"Woah," she mutters, gripping onto my hips tightly and forcing me to slow down.

I flash her a crooked smile and lean back in, catching her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. Her hands slide upwards, across my back and under my shirt. She starts to guide it off and I pull back, resting my bum on her lower thighs as we take my shirt off together and add it to the pile with my hoodie. Her fingers twitch against the small of my back as she stares at the lace on my bra. Normally I wouldn't go with some so ...sexy, but I knew Tegan would be in the mood to mess around a little after I asked her to prom, assuming she said yes, and boy, was she in the mood. Her movements are still a little unsure and hesitant but I love it and find it painfully cute. It also helps to bring out the emotional side to our actions, knowing that we aren't just driven by lust, and it makes it more meaningful and feel twice as amazing.

Tegan trails her fingers across my ribs and plants them there, the tips of her fingers sitting just underneath the underwire of my bra, waiting for me to tell her what to do.

"Tell me what you want, Tee." I stare at her with lust filled eyes.

"Uhm.." She blushes, unable to tear her eyes away from my chest.

I get the hint and smile at her adoringly, reaching behind my back to undo the clasps and let the thin material fall, exposing my ample breasts. "Is this what you want?"

"Oh my." She whispers. She presses her fingers deeper into my skin, itching to move them upwards and flicks here eyes between the pair, enthralled. Or at least that's what I hope her expression means.

** Tegan's POV**

I physically can't tear my eyes away from Sara's chest. They're so.. perky! Smaller than mine too, but definitely a handful. I so badly want to touch them but I can't seem to move my hands the few inches north that they need to go.

I gulp and look up, hoping Sara will do something. She looks at my expression and starts to giggle, her shoulders shaking slightly. If she wasn't so cute when she did that, I think I might be a little upset. Doesn't she know this was supposed to be sexy, and steamy, not funny!?

"Saraaa," I groan, feeling like an idiot. "What do I.. How do I...?"

"Here," Sara says with a grin. She grabs either of my open hands and presses them onto her breasts, trapping them there under her hands. She pushes harder and starts massaging our hands across her skin. My breath starts to pick up and my lips curl into a small smile. They're so soft, and squishy! Then I feel her nipples start to harden and I freak out, pulling my hands away quickly. "Sara!"

Sara tilts her head back and laughs loudly, clutching her stomach. I sink further into the couch and bury my face into one of the couch pillows, pouting. Could this get any more embarrassing? I'm fine with Sara touching me, but I feel so awkward when I touch her.

The light invades my sight again and I peek over the top of the pillow, my cheeks burning from embarrassment. Her face is right on the other side of the pillow, her eyes slits from her smile I can't see. She lowers the pillow more and throws it, letting it land somewhere on the floor.

"God, Tee you're so fucking cute." She kisses me on the nose and grabs my hands again. "It's okay, you can look _and _touch. I encourage it, in fact."

** Sara's POV**

I straighten Tegan's pointer fingers and guide them around my nipples. The calluses on her fingers from playing her guitar are slightly rough on my skin as we circle them and I bite my lip, holding a moan back while I watch along with her as they harden.

"See? I like it." I chuckle, sucking on one of her fingers. I gently bite it then wrap my fingers around her and lean in, taking her bottom lip and pulling back. I let it snap back against her teeth and gums before kissing her.

We get into an intense battle of tonsil hockey, and let me tell you, ice hockey isn't the only kind of hockey Tegan is insanely good at. It's long, broad, and flexible. If she's this good with out much experience, then I know she's going to absolutely blow my mind months from now. And, to be blunt, I can't wait until she goes down on me and eats me out like I'm the most delicious thing she's ever tasted. Tegan does have quite a thing for sweets after all. Man, just thinking about it is enough to practically send me over the edge.

I raise my hips and whisper into her ear, nibbling at her earlobe. "Lay down." I shift my body and she lays herself down on her back, nestling into the leather cushions and looking at me happily with her rosy cheeks.

I gladly return her smile and grope her chest roughly then drag my short nails down her sides, leaving long faint lines of red. She clenches her teeth and hisses, bucking her hips up to meet mine.

"Are you wet?" I smirk, trailing the pads of my thumbs over her jutting hipbones.

"Sara," she whines, cover her face as much as she can with her forearm.

I swat it out of the way and she rests it above her head. I lean down, kissing her on the lips. "I am. Soaked, really."

"_Sara_!" She scolds, whacking me in the shoulder.

I chuckle and ghost my lips over hers, passing my breath into her lungs, teasing her. "Wanna feel?" I lean back on my heels, bare-chested and sweaty, admiring the view of Tegan's heaving torso. Her stomach muscles tighten and release with each intake and I rush to undo the button of my pants after I wipe the sweat from my forehead and push my hair out of my eyes, but something stops me. I glance back up, feeling all the color drain out of my face as I'm met with the cold, horrified stare of Tegan's mum's eyes.


	13. Screams and Confessions

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I really did want to get this up sooner but (un)surprisingly it is very difficult to write conflict that you've never actually experienced. Who knew? haha I want to thank you all for the reviews! There were so many! I love it! I'm sorry the story is heading in this direction, but what kind of fun is a story without drama? So enjoy, and let me know what you think! Thanks! :D

Also! I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but uponarainbow and I wrote a smutty oneshot together! It's called **Shock To Your System** (under the author wheredidtherainbowgo) and it's based on two drawings I did that you can see on my tumblr, mistersara-ladyjean, under the 'Fanart' tag! We love hearing all of your feedback, so check it out!

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**Sara's POV**

The shock sends me toppling off of Tegan and onto the hard wood floor with a painful thunk as I land on my tailbone. My limbs clamber to find my bra and shirt, desperate to cover myself before the big blow out. Tegan still hasn't a clue what is going on by the time I've got my bra clasped on and she slowly sits up, hugging the hoodie to her front.

"Sara, what's wrong?" She asks, panicking and looking all over the room, except for behind her.

I glance over to her mom, staring daggers into Tegan's back, and she opens her mouth into a horrific sneer. "Tegan Rain Quin!" She bellows, her shrieking voice booming through the entire basement and I look back to Tegan, the most painful, terrified expression spreading across her features. It's enough to break my heart, but I know it will be nothing compared to how she'll look once her mum actually starts yelling.

Tegan struggles to get the zipper up to make herself decent before she gets to her feet and slowly turns around, preparing her explanation, but I think it's quite obvious there isn't a good one and shit is about to hit the fan, big time. I slip my hoodie on and move in front of Tegan, shielding her as her mum storms down the stairs, her body tense with rage.

"What the _fuck _do you two think you're doing?!" She screams, stomping right up into our faces. I see Tegan flinch out of the corner of my eye and know she's using every ounce of self control she has to not start bawling. This was her worst nightmare coming true, and it was all my fault, but there had to be a way I could still save her. I step fully in front of Tegan, grabbing her trembling hands in mine and force us to take a step back. I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I'll be damned if this woman lays a finger on _my _Tegan.

The fire in her eyes flickers and she eyes me up and down, recognition slowly setting in as she remembers me as the girl from the hockey game. Her nostrils flare and she shoots her glare down to our connected hands. "Get your hands off my daughter, you _dyke_!"

"Mum," Tegan whimpers, sounding like a puppy that was just stepped on. She squeezes my hands tighter, looking for support. I don't need to see her face to know she's already begun crying. "Just let me explain." She begs.

I want to turn around and plead to Tegan to not even try, and risk making things worse. Her mum clearly saw me half naked and sweaty, straddling her daughter. What was she going to say, that we were studying anatomy for science class?

"Explain?!" She shrieks, and then her body relaxes as she sneers. "Please Tegan, enlighten me on what it was you could have possibly been doing with this ..._thing_!"

Oh hell no. I could handle people silently not agreeing with who I couldn't help falling in love with but to say that I was less than every one else, let alone not even _human_, was something I couldn't tolerate. I like to think of myself as a pacifist, but there were some things I couldn't hold myself back from reacting to. I drop Tegan's hand and raise my fist, reeling back, ready to clock her right in the jaw, but Tegan stops me. Curling her fingers around my bicep, she pulls my arm down, placing it back at my side.

"Sara, please." Tegan utters softly, and I let my muscles loosen. I really don't want to make things any more worse for her, but her mother saw what my intentions were and her anger boils over again.

"Get the fuck out of my house." She spits, grabbing a handful of my hoodie and jerking me forward violently. I try not to show my fear as she breathes in my face with hot breath. "If I ever see you anywhere near my daughter again, or in any type of contact with her, you _will_ be sorry. Do you understand me?"

I contemplate my next move while watching the scorn increase on this woman's face. I can't leave Tegan to suffer the consequences on her own but the longer I stay, the worse those consequences will be. I turn around, finally getting a look at Tegan's face. I've never seen such a painful sight. Tears are steadily streaming down her cheeks from her widened, frightened eyes. I give her trembling hand a squeeze and wipe some of the tears away, hoping I don't feel a blow to the head from Tegan's mum's fist. I look Tegan in the eye and try to smile like I believe everything will turn out just fine. "What do you want me to do?" I ask.

"Uhm.." Tegan swallows loudly, flicking her nervous pupils back and forth between us, no doubt heavily conflicted. She licks her lips, preparing to answer when there's a feral growl from behind me and I feel myself being whipped backwards, towards the stairs. I stumble over my feet, losing my balance, but I still continue to be dragged along.

"Mum! Stop!" Tegan cries out, rushing over to help me up.

I wince as my elbow knocks against the wooden step, but eventually I manage to regain my footing. Tegan grabs my wrist and pulls, making me wince again as they play tug of war with my limbs.

"Mum, please! I love her!" Tegan screams, and just like that, everyone stops.

Her mum and I turn around in unison, breathing heavily and startled by the foreign, tragic sound. I wrench myself from the painful clench on my upper arm and into Tegan's arms. "You do?" I ask with a stupid grin. This isn't quite how I imagined this would go, but I'm so ecstatic Tegan is saying it first. She smiles shyly, looking to her bare feet, and nodding.

"Oh Tee, I love you too. So much. I promise I won't let your parents keep us apart, okay baby?" I smile and push her hair back, kissing her on the forehead.

She blushes and flashes me that gummy grin. And in that moment I truly know nothing will keep us from being together in the end. It might not be easy or painless, but I won't break my promise.

I'm ripped away again and Tegan lets me go, terrified that her mum didn't make a sound after Tegan confessed her love. I'm terrified as well. A world of hurt has to be awaiting Tegan once I'm thrown out the door and utterly helpless.

We reach the front door and I'm pushed out, forced to trip over my feet and I land against the cold, rough concrete. I grit my teeth as I feel my cheek scrape against it, breaking the skin there as well as on the heels of my palms, having hoping to brace me for the fall.

I sit up on my knees and wipe my cheek with my fingertips, finding droplets of crimson blood mixed with salty tears that I didn't even know were falling. I stand to my feet and wipe my bloody palms on my jeans as the tears fall faster and my shoulders quake with sobs. I didn't have a clue as how to keep my promise to Tegan, and it crushed me. I was hopeless against her bible-thumping parents.

I wheel my bike away from the garage and swing my leg over the seat, positioning myself. A choked sob escapes me when I peddle past her dad pulling into the driveway.

** Tegan's POV**

If it's possible for an eighteen year old to suffer a heart attack, I'm about to have one. My worst nightmare is unfolding before me that I can't wake up from and it's bound to only get worse.

My mum slams the door shut and I slowly back away towards the stair case leading upstairs, dreading the punishment coming for me. How could I have been so careless?

I drop my shoulders and hang my head, hiding my face behind my long bangs. I hear the clack of my mum's heels that she didn't have time to take off yet against the hardwood floor.

"You look at me right now, Tegan Rain." She hisses sternly.

I straighten up and square my jaw, preparing for the blow. She flattens her hand and brings her open palm to my cheek. A loud crack fills the tall entryway and I bite my lip to stifle the painful cry creeping up my throat. I blink back the tears, hating that I'm so weak, and look up to my mum.

She crosses her arms over her chest and sets her jaw, looking pissed and exhausted. "How could you even fathom doing something like this?" She rubs her eyes and takes a deep breath, waving me away. "I don't even want to look at you right now. Get your ass up to your room. Your father can deal with you."

I silently nod and trudge upstairs. My mum had a shorter temper than my dad, but his anger could shoot through the roof when provoked enough. I can only pray that he stays late enough at work tonight that I can sleep this off first.

I collapse onto my bed and let out a deep, shaky sigh. My phones buzzes in my pocket and I roll onto my back, opening the text from Sara. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

I chuckle sadly and hit the reply button. "No. Are you?" I type back.

"Not really. We'll be okay though. Love conquers all, right?" She responds.

A small smile creeps up as I exhale and pull the hoodie further up on my shoulders and tug the hood back over my head. I wanted to believe Sara, I really did, but I didn't see how we'd be okay. My parents will do anything in their power that they can to keep us apart. We would only be able to see each other in school and since we still weren't out there, we couldn't really be together. Our only option was to wait until college, and I hadn't even had the chance to ask Sara if she wanted to move to Vancouver with me yet.

"I hope so." I tell her and snuggle into my sheets and hoodie, with Sara's scent back on it form earlier. I'm pretty sure if we wouldn't have gotten caught, we would have gone all the way but now, a very small part of me is glad that didn't happen. It's obvious Sara is special, especially to me, and I don't want our first time to be rushed in a basement.

I focus on the random shapes in the ceiling, waiting for Sara to answer back, when I hear the front door shut and the raised voices of my parents. I can't make out what they're saying, but I also don't want to. I curl up, hugging my knees to my chest and think about Sara, trying to drown out their voices. Her smile, her silly hair, her cute little nose, her laugh, her slight lisp, her body... I really do love her, I just wish my parents could understand that there's nothing wrong with that and it's not going to change, but I know that day will never come.

I hear the creak of heavy footsteps and then the sound of my doorknob slamming into the wall from my dad barging in, unannounced. I quietly sob and sit up. He's breathing loudly, and I can practically feel the heated anger radiating from his body. I stare down at my legs, too afraid to look at him.

"What on earth were you thinking, Tegan?! Your mother is absolutely hysterical. Do you enjoy hurting her like this?!" He bellows, bringing his palm against his thigh with a deafening crack.

I slowly shake my head, still unable to look up any further past his knees. I don't see his hand coming as it grips my cheeks tightly, his fingertips sinking into the flesh and pulling upward, causing me to look at him. I blink back the tears as I stare into his disgusted, ashamed eyes.

"Look at me while I am talking to you. After everything your mother and I have done and provided you, this is how you decide to thank us? Bringing that girl into this house.. Violating everything we taught you.. I won't tolerate it. From now on you are to go to school and be home no later than 3:15. If you are even one minute late, there will be Hell to pay. We will take you to any hockey or school activities you have, and we'll also be having a little chat about you going to UBC next year once your mother has calmed down. Now give me your phone." He holds out his open palm.

I reach for my phone, lit up from an unopened text from Sara, terrified. There were hundreds of texts in there from her along with countless photos of us. I set it down in his hand and watch as he walks over to my desk, muttering angrily about how he should have sent me to private school and been more strict. He snatches up my laptop and looks around the room, trying to find anything else I could use to keep in contact with Sara.

"iPod?" He asks shortly when he doesn't see it out in the open, tapping his foot against the floor.

I slide off the bed and drag myself to my backpack sitting by my butterfly chair. I reach in and pull it out, tugging the headphones out of it first and hand it over. I head back towards my bed when he wraps his large hand around my arm, forcing me to look at him.

"We'll be having a chat with Father Jared before church in the morning. Make sure you're ready to go by 7. Got it?" He searches my face disappointedly, looking for any kind of sign that I'm going to betray him, or God, anymore while I nod in understanding. Apparently satisfied, he leaves my room with my things and the thundering reverberation of my slamming door.

I crawl back into my bed, the sobs wracking through my body harder than they ever have before. What was I going to do now?


	14. Oppositions and Keeping Chins Up

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I'm sorry I took away the happy times and replaced it with this, but what good is a story with out conflict that makes the characters grow and gives them the chance to have even more happy times? And speaking of unhappy times, I promise to get Side Effects updated soon! Promise!

To the girl who left the review about the last chapter hitting really close to home, I am so, so sorry that you are in the situation that you are, and as cheesy as it sounds, it will get better! I promise it will. High school is such a small part of your life in the grand scheme of things, and you're only going to learn from all the experiences you're having and be a better person, and eventually happy. I hope I can take this story in a way that will give you hope for the future, but if you ever want to come off anon and shoot me a PM, feel free to! :)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and review!

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**Sara's POV**

I feel sick to my stomach waiting for Tegan to get to her locker. Almost twenty minutes have passed since I slumped to the floor, leaning against the clanky metal door. My knees press against my chest and my cheek rests on top of the bony cartilage, facing towards the entrance of the school, my eyes open wide in concentration instead of threatening to droop shut like usual so early in the morning. I trail the pad of my pointer finger over the small patch of rough scabs on my cheek.

Tegan hasn't talked to me since texting me soon after I, literally, got thrown out of her house. I have no idea what happened after I left, if she's okay, or if I will ever see her again.

The five minute warning bell goes off and I get to my feet, dusting the back of my jeans off and straightening my backpack, taking one last hopeful look at the doors. I see a short ponytail bobbing up and down come through the door and cross my fingers, praying that it's Tegan.

The crowd clears a little and I see her, head hung low, dazed out and staring at her shuffling feet. She gets to me, in front of her locker, and reaches out, still lost in her head and looking down. She pokes me in the stomach, blocking her combination, and looks up, confused.

Her rugged gaze meets mine and her face goes ghost white. She scans my face with her sunken eyes, flitting them everywhere and stopping on my cheek. She lifts her hand and trails her fingers over the marks. "Oh Sara," she whispers, her features screwing up in pain and the tears start streaming down her face instantly.

I frown, pulling her in close, wrapping an arm around her waist and the other resting on the nape of her neck, playing with soft baby hairs that were too short to make it in her pony. She relaxes slightly from the touch and latches onto me, crying into my shoulder.

Other students passing by try not to stare and if they do, I shoot them a hostile glare. I turn Tegan's body away and shush her, trying to console her as best I can. I kiss the top of her head repeatedly and tell her it's going to be okay. She moves her head side to side against my shoulder, wiping her running tears and nose on my shirt telling me no, it's not okay.

The one minute warning bell rings and Tegan abruptly pulls away, avoiding my gaze and rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms. "I have to go," she mutters hurriedly, abandoning whatever she needed in her locker and turning, briskly ushering away, leaving me, stunned and speechless.

I trudge off to first period, never taking my eyes off the clock during each class until it's lunch time and I push my way through the bustling sea of students, trying to make it to the cafeteria before Tegan does so I can get her talk to me and tell me what happened. It appears she read my mind as I see her briskly walking towards the exit in the cafeteria, showing her student ID with the special sticker to the lunch aide that lets her leave campus for lunch. I slow my pace to a stop, watching her retreating figure helplessly because my poor grades never allowed me that privilege.

I walk up to my old table and plop down next to Stacy, ignoring her probing glances as I silently eat my lunch. Lunch ends and I repeat my actions of burning holes into the clock until the final bell rings and I try yet again, to reach Tegan.

I push my way through the double doors and to the parking lot, where a row of students already sit in their cars, waiting for the traffic to clear out. I see Tegan's green truck and run, pulling on the passenger door handle as she stares straight ahead. I tug a few more times and knock harshly on the window, yelling her name. I see her swallow and tighten her jaw. She turns her head, flashing me her moist eyes, letting one tear fall before putting her truck in drive and waiting for me to step away so she can drive off.

Being the stubborn person I am, I stand my ground, laying my hand flat on the window and pleading that she let me in, but the cars behind her honking their horns impatiently force me to back away. I turn around, defeated, and drag my feet to the opposite end of the school where the bike racks are, and head home.

This process repeats for the rest of the week, and Tegan is a pro by Friday, not once making eye contact with me. I don't know how she managed to do it but it's too much to bare. I never thought heart break would be this excruciating.

After I watch her drive out of the parking lot, I bike home as fast as I can, trying not to cry over everything falling apart and skid into the front lawn. I drop my bike and race up the stairs to my room, finding the clear case housing the guitar picks Tegan gave me for my birthday, pulling out the one with the lyrics on it and bound back downstairs, finding my dad in the living room.

"Hey, Dad?" I lean over the back of the couch, interrupting him from his nose buried deep in the newspaper.

"Yeah, Bear?" He shakes the paper noisily, folding it back up and turning towards me, he smiles.

"Can you help me drill a hole in something?" I ask, fidgeting with the small piece of plastic.

"Sure thing." He beams, ruffling my hair and leading me out into the garage, where his small collection of power tools sit, unused and coated with dust. He digs through a pile, untangling electric cords and plugs a tiny drill into the power outlet. He clicks it on and off a few times, making sure that it works. "Do you want to do it?" He asks, holding it out to me.

I hesitantly take it, and hand the pick to him. He smiles sympathetically at me, knowing every detail, well, minus the more intimate ones, of what is going on with Tegan. There was no avoiding telling both my parents when I came home from her house that dreaded night, bawling with a bloody cheek and hands. He sets it on the edge of the work bench, keeping it tightly in place as I drill the hole into the top, and set it back on the counter when I'm finished, blowing the residue off the pick. I unclasp my necklace and slide it on, letting it dangle next to the golden cross. My souvenirs from those I loved most.

It seemed silly. I was certain Tegan had never actually physically touched the item, but it helped alleviate the anxiety; knowing that a part of her would now be with me always, if I couldn't have her physically near me.

"Thanks," I mutter as I'm pulled into a big bear hug, my face squishing against my dad's chest. I grumble and try to pull away from the embrace, even though I'm grateful for it and find it comforting.

He pecks the crown of my head and smoothes my hair down. "If there's anything you need Bear, your mother and I are here for you. Just keep your chin up and things will work themselves out. I love you, kiddo."

"Love you too Dad." I sniffle, wiping the spilling tears onto his shirt.

** Tegan's POV**

I hold myself together long enough to rush through the front door and into my room, changing into a pair of black athletic shorts and matching sports bra. I grab the mixed CD from Sara and head downstairs to the basement, avoiding my parents judging stare from their spots in the living room so they can't see the tears threatening to spill.

I pop the CD into the stereo and turn it up as loud as possible, drowning out my thoughts and shove my hands into the worn boxing gloves sitting on the floor near the punching bag. I shake my limbs out and bounce from foot to foot, releasing all of my pain and frustration into each powerful swing. I let out a feral grunt with each punch, losing myself in the movements.

I don't hear the door open and shut, signaling my dad's entrance until the music is gone. I look up, and he's walking over to me, steadying the punching bag and looking at me with a stern stare. "There's no reason you need to be playing that music so loud, and work on your posture. You won't see a hit coming if you don't keep your chin up."

I wipe the sweat from my forehead and nod, waiting for him to leave before I whip the boxing gloves off and steady the bag between my hands, bringing my knee quickly into it with a sob.

**Sara's POV**

I hold out as I long as I can. Only hours have passed since I added the new accessory to my necklace, and already the comforting effects have worn off. I dig through my recycle and find a a flat piece of cardboard about the size of a cereal box and grab a sharpie, quickly writing on it before shoving it into my backpack and heading out.

I let my bike fall to the grass with a small crash and dig my hand into the pile of pebbles surrounding the small growing tree in Tegan's front yard, pulling up a handful. They make a quiet _tink _in concessionagainst Tegan's window as I throw them, one after the other. It takes three handfuls before she pulls the curtain back and squints her eyes, reading the black writing on the piece of cardboard in my grip.

**Tegan's POV**

_5 Minutes? Please? _

The sign reads in Sara's messy, all capitalized handwriting. I try to focus on her face, hidden in the darkness and shadows but it puts too much strain on my eyes, and I give up. I'm sure it's too painful to look at anyway.

I let the curtain go, pacing around the room, trying to figure out if it's worth getting caught to go talk to her. She deserves for me to, especially after how I ignored her all week at school. It wasn't fair, and downright bitchy that I did, but the thought of confronting her, after I broke down in her arms in front of my locker with out an explanation, was enough to send me into cardiac arrest. I didn't want to break up with her, I _couldn't _break up with her, not with how in love with her I am. Even repeating her name in my head was enough to put the silliest grin on my face. I was head over heels, over the moon in love with her.

It was necessary for me to apologize, and explain the situation to her. I grab a pair of socks and slip them on, tip toeing through the hall and down the stairs out the back door, hoping Sara's still waiting for me. I spot her leaning against the garage, head hung low and bending the cardboard in half over and over again.

I clear my throat, letting her know I'm here, but she doesn't look up. I can't blame her. I nudge her bare toes, with my socked ones and whisper remorsefully, "I'm sorry."

She gives an acknowledgeable nod and peaks up at me through her bangs, her eyes void of any emotion. She licks her lips and asks quietly, her voice unsteady, "Can you tell me what's going on?"

I exhale, the breath quivering and run my parted fingers through my hair. I think of all the things that have gone on in the last week, most notably having to talk to Father Jared about my 'condition' and what can be done about it, to my parents watching my every move. I find it best to spare her the details. "I'm not allowed to see or speak to you. They took away my phone, computer, iPod, privacy, freedom, everything."

Sara nods again, and lifts her head fully, crossing her arms. Up close, I can see her face in detail. Undeniably she's still the same beautiful Sara, but she looks rough. Her eyes are sunken in, accompanied by dark circles from lack of sleep. Visible above the neck line of her v-neck sits the golden cross necklace I'm used to seeing, but next to it hangs something new. I reach forward and finger the white guitar pick, etched with silver writing, a little hole drilled to the top to dangle next to the charm dearest to the one person she would ever care more about than me. My eyes well with tears and I look away, trying to keep myself together. If only my parents could understand how this isn't wrong, and how perfect Sara is.

She curls her fingers around my wrist, gently pulling it away, and ducking her head to look me in the eye, needing more answers. "So is that it? We aren't together now?"

"We don't have a choice Sara, my parents..." I shrug, now being the one to not want eye contact, and look up to the stars, barely visible within the city. "They are hellbent on keeping us apart, and making sure that all of this was a very short lived phase."

Her hand comes up to grip my chin, and she forces me to look at her. She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and attempts a smile. "Tegan, you're an adult, you don't have to do what they say anymore."

I scoff, shaking my head. "It's not that simple. They're my _parents_, I love them, Sara, I can't help it. Not to mention they're the ones that provide me with everything that I need right now; a roof over my head, a bed, food, money. I need them."

She drops her hand and crosses both her arms over her chest, leaning back against the wall, deflated. Emotionlessly, she mumbles, "But you don't need me."

"That's not what I said. I love you and I need you, too." I say quickly, cursing myself for not being gifted with an elegance for words. I reach out for her, craving contact to prove that I do love her.

She turns away from my touch, and sniffles, understanding that maybe love isn't enough right now. "But?"

"But I'm not like you Sara. I'm not strong like you are. You're not afraid of anything and you don't care what anyone thinks of you. _I _do." I say weakly. If I didn't know it from all the collisions I had been in, in hockey I'd demand an x-ray be taken to reassure myself that I did, in fact, have a backbone.

"You must become a lion hearted girl." Sara says, staring off into the driveway. I stifle a chuckle, unable to find her use of the Rabbit Heart song lyrics not cheesy. She tries to hide the smile pulling at her lips and looks at me, her expression turning serious again. "Don't laugh, I'm serious. Do you ever think why that song is your favorite? It was written for you, Tee. If you can't leave, you have to make them understand that this is who you are, it's not going to change, and that you love another woman, you love _me_. You gotta be brave, and be ready for a fight. Okay?"

I shudder at the thought of confronting my parents. Even if I did it in the most mature manner as possible, they would flip out, and send me to a convent for sure, but Sara was right. If she was truly what I wanted, I had to fight for her, and take whatever is thrown at me with my head held high. I nod, agreeing, and she finally smiles a glimmer of the genuine smile I love and snakes her arms around my waist, pulling me in close. "Now c'mere. I'll die if I go another minute without your lips on mine."


	15. Promises and Rules

**A/N: **Ahhh! I'm so sorry it took two weeks to update! For those of you who asked, I am okay! lol I was working on updating Side Effects and just working in general. I hope this was worth the wait, and it's a little over 5,000 words so hopefully that helps too! Enjoy and review! Thanks! :D

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**Tegan's POV**

"You're going to talk to them tonight, right?" Sara questions, tapping her fingers along my shoulder and twirling her fingers in my hair.

We're hiding out in a stall in the less frequented bathroom during lunch. It was kind of gross, but it was the only time and place we could be alone to talk and steal kisses every few minutes before we had to go back to pretending like we weren't in love, or even friends, but I was praying that after tonight, things would get better.

"Yeah," I smile wearily. Just the thought of having to talk with my parents so openly about how I feel for Sara made stomach churn and my heart pound in my ears, but it has to be done. When it comes down to it, I'm their daughter and they have to love me no matter what, right?

"Just be strong, and before you know it, I'll be over for a family dinner." She chuckles, leaning in to kiss me, her grip tight on my waist. "How much time do we have left?" She asks, kissing my ear and down my cheek, to my lips.

I push her face away with a smile and stand on my tippy toes, peering over the stall door and reading the clock. We still had five minutes left. I flatten my feet and smirk, resting my back against the wall, bringing Sara with me by the hold I have on her shirt. She pecks me quickly on the lips and gets down to her knees.

"Enough time to do this?" Her words are like silk in my ears.

I nod excitedly, tangling my fingers in her hair as she bunches up my top to just under my chest, where she holds the fabric, simultaneously cupping each breast. I hang my head and keep eye contact with her while she plants wet, open mouthed kisses to my stomach and hips. One of her eyebrows raise and then my body jolts from the playful bite she gives me.

I didn't understand Sara's infatuation with my stomach. I still wasn't completely comfortable in my skin, and I much preferred the soft squishiness of her flat stomach, but I let her did what she wanted, to a point anyway, with this little time we had.

Her hands move under my shirt and cup me over my bra, squeezing as she nibbles at my skin again, getting dangerously close to the top of my jeans. I nudge her in the head with my palm and she laughs, blowing her breath into my belly button. I echo her laughter and try to back up into the wall further.

Suddenly there's a loud creak of the door being opened and we instantly fall silent. I hold my breath and Sara quickly hops up onto the toilet seat to hide her feet.

**Sara's POV**

I crouch down low, trying not to let a foot slip into the toilet, and wave Tegan over frantically to stand in front of the toilet to at least give the appearance that nothing is going on but she doesn't seem to get it. I grab her wrist and yank her over, her sneakers squeaking annoyingly against the tiles. She plants her feet forward and freezes, panicking. If we got caught, we'd be suspended without a second thought and that was the last thing Tegan needed right now.

I straighten up to match Tegan's height and wrap my arms around her neck, pressing my cheek against hers and I can't help but smile. The situation is so ridiculous, and on my part, totally worth the risk. We squint and try to make out who the person is walking by into the next stall over. I snicker silently to myself. I don't think Tegan caught who it was, but I'd recognized that long brown hair anywhere.

The lock slides into place and I push my raised pointer finger against Tegan's lips, telling her to be quiet. She gives a slight nod, keeping her feet in place while I remove my arms from her shoulders and stand up fully, peering over the top of the stall into the next. "Hey Stace!" I exclaim and she yelps, her hand flying to her chest where her heart beats much too fast.

"What the fuck!" She pounds her fist into the wall between us but the tone of her voice tells me she's not really that mad.

I burst out laughing and Tegan erupts in a fit of breathy giggles. I hop down to the floor and link my fingers across her stomach, stepping forward to guide us out to the sinks. I start laughing again when I see our reflection in the mirror. Tegan's face is flushed and my hair is a mess, sticking up every which way from her hands running through it and playing with it.

"Aw babe, you gave me sex hair." I pout, trying to matte it back down with my hand and some water but it just pops back up. She bites her lip, trying not to smile. What a fucking cutie. I pinch her side and she squirms, scrunching her nose up as her quiet giggles make my heart swell.

A toilet flushes and Stacy joins us a second later, eyeing my hair up and down as well as the hold I have on Tegan through the mirror. She squirts soap onto her hands and runs them under the faucet, scowling, "That's what you guys were doing in here? That's disgusting."

I turn my head to the side, resting my cheek against the back of Tegan's head and hold her tighter. I would probably be annoyed with her attitude but with Tegan in my arms, it was impossible to be anything but happy. "Nah Stacy, we're waiting for the right time to do that. We were just hanging out and talking."

Tegan smiles, and turns towards us. I knew she felt bad that we hadn't gone all the way yet only because she thought that I was really eager to, which I was, don't get me wrong, but I honestly didn't mind. Whatever she wanted, I wanted, so I would wait.

Her body relaxes slightly against mine and I know said the right thing, even if it was so simple, but Stacy rolls her eyes, scoffing at me. "Yeah, right. There's no way you could last in a relationship for even a month with no sex."

"Sara and I have been together for almost three months so I think she can," Tegan pipes up, a hint of venom in her voice.

I look to her with raised eyebrows, smirking. Have the claws finally come out?

Stacy rolls her eyes, turning towards the paper towel. She rips one off and rubs it all over her hands, muttering under her breath. "Just because she hasn't had sex with _you _doesn't mean she hasn't had sex."

Tegan's stomach tightens under my palm, bulging slightly, ready for an attack. She steps forward, baring her teeth. "Just because Sara's in love with me and not you doesn't mean you have to be such a bitch."

Stacy's eyes go wide and then narrow, eyeing Tegan up and down. For a moment I think someone is going to throw a punch but luckily Stacy knows better. She wouldn't stand a chance against Tegan. She turns her nose up and huffs, "Hpmh!", walking briskly out the door.

I roll my eyes and turn to Tegan with a smirk, grabbing her hips. I lean in close, brushing my lips against her as I speak. "Where did _that _come from?"

"I don't know, but I feel kind of bad." Tegan backs away slightly, looking towards the door with her lips turned down.

I grip her jaw, turning her back towards me and looking her dead in the eye. "Don't. She deserved it and besides, that was really sexy."

"Really?" She chews her bottom lip shyly, trying not to smile.

"Mmhmm. You just wait until I can get my hands on you."

** Tegan's POV**

The house is dead quiet when I walk through the front door. It was nothing out of the ordinary but today it just felt like a bad omen. Something was up, I could tell. At least I was still running on that adrenaline rush from earlier with Stacy to prepare me for my parents.

I couldn't figure out had come over me in the bathroom. I've never had the urge to punch someone but Stacy was a completely different topic. She was just proving that jealously was a very ugly thing but really, I can't blame her, I'd be jealous of me too.

I head for the stairs, spotting my parents sitting on stools at the island in the kitchen, looking at a laptop. I try to sneak pass, hoping to get a few minutes to myself for a mental pep talk, but the house is too open, and they have a clear view of me. Dad clears his throat and I curse under my breath, stopping on only the third stair.

"Tegan, come here for a minute." Dad says in his monotone voice, which _seems_ like a good sign that he wasn't angry.

Heading into the kitchen, I stand before my parents, waiting for one of them to break the silence.

"Your mother and I are having a hard time understanding something, could you help us out?" Dad asks, his voice still eerily calm.

"O-okay," I stutter, palms sweating. I drop my backpack to the floor and take a seat.

I focus in on what's on the computer screen when Mum turns it to face me. Some kind of video is open, and everything is really dark and fuzzy. I can't make out what it is but my heart starts beating insanely fast. Mum presses the space bar and it starts playing.

There are two figures standing in the corner of the screen, one of them leaning against something. The audio crackles with white noise, then Sara's sweet girly voice fills the stale silence.

"Now c'mere. I'll die if I go another minute without your lips on mine."

I swallow loudly, nauseous, watching the outer figure, _me_, plant my hands on the garage wall above Sara's head and stretch forward, kissing her passionately.

Sick to my stomach, I reach forward and slam the screen shut. They put up video cameras?! Was there one in my bedroom? The _bathroom_? I look up to my parents with wide eyes.

"You blatantly betrayed us Tegan. We work so hard to give you the best things in life and this is how you decide to thank us? What do you have to say for yourself?!" Mum shouts, her face beat red with anger, palms pressed tightly against the counter, I swear they'll leave indents, as she shoots up from her stool.

Dad remains as still as a boulder, his jaw tight and his eyebrows furrowed together. The calm before the storm. I guess it's now or never.

I square my shoulders, glancing between them as I transform from a rabbit hearted girl into a lion. "I love Sara, more than I love anything, even more than I love hockey. I love her like you two love each other and I'm sorry but it's not going to change." I exhale, feeling the weight lift from my shoulders, then I shake my head, continuing. "No, wait, actually I am not sorry. It may not be what you expected of me but that doesn't mean it's wrong. She makes me so happy, isn't that what matters? Don't you guys want me to be happy?"

"Does it make you happy knowing this is breaking your mother's heart? This is not the path God has planned for you! Dammit Tegan!" Dad bellows, pounding his fist so hard into the counter top the salt shaker a foot away clatters to the ground.

"I don't care about His path! I want to make my own path!" I cry back. Why couldn't they just understand?

"Get out." The words are low, barely audible and sucking all the oxygen out of the room. I look to Mum, sweat breaking out on my upper lip. Had I heard that right?

"W-What?" My jaw hangs open, my eyes flicking back and forth between my parents. My legs are tingly with anxiety and I feel light headed.

"I said _get out_!" The words crash over me like a wave of heat and I take a stumbling step back, bracing myself for more as she goes on. "If that's how you're choosing to live, I want you out. I will _not _have a gay child."

The bile rises in my throat and I look to Dad, hoping for some support. He slings his arm over Mum's shoulder, rubbing her arm soothingly, and looks to me as if I'm the one being completely absurd. "You heard her. You have fifteen minutes to pack what you can, and then you are out that door."

I open my mouth to ask if they're absolutely serious, and they both just raise their hands, silencing and dismissing me as my world comes crashing down around me and the wind is knocked out of me.

The next fifteen minutes pass in a wheezing blur. Sitting now at the boat landing, looking at the bags filling my back seat through the rearview mirror, I can't remember any of it. Not once do I remember walking up and down the stairs, carrying the things that meant the most to me to my truck and driving off aimlessly, wondering what on earth I was going to do.

Something cold splashes onto my palm and I reach up, grazing my fingertips across my cheek. I pull them away and look. Tears. And a lot of them. When did I start crying? And more importantly, when was I going to stop?

**Sara's POV**

I spotTegan's truck sitting in the parking lot near the boat landing at the lake. I can just barely make out her shape through the front window. She seems to be hunched over, unmoving. Never a good sign.

I pick up my speed, peddling faster on my bike. The tires screech loudly as I brake next to her window, out of breath.

Her knees are pulled up to her chest, her head rested in the small space between them. Shoulders shaking uncontrollably, she clenches either wrist with her fingers around her shins, holding herself together. There's a loud, gut wrenching sob through the glass and I tear the door open, wracked with anxiety, my own fingers trembling. "Tegan?" I whisper softly, trying not to startle her as if she were a frightened animal.

Tegan whimpers, sniffling. She grips her wrists tighter and scoots back, making herself smaller and making more room for me, not once lifting her head to let me look at her face.

I swing my leg over my bike, letting it fall to the ground, and climb in, crouching low with my knees on either side of her, my bum resting on the bottom edge of the steering wheel, threatening to blow the horn. My fingers run smoothly through her hair and my eyes scan the inside of her truck. The back seat is packed, filled by her guitar case, a small suitcase, hockey gear, and multiple bags and backpacks. My fingers stop and my stomach drops, my breath caught in my throat.

"Tegan?" I repeat, lifting her head up.

She turns away, looking down and avoiding looking at me but not before I get a look at her face. The rims of her eyes are swollen and puffy, tinted a deep red, her bangs wet and matted to her forehead and eye lashes, moving each time she blinks back more tears. The whites of her eyes are completely bloodshot and her cheeks are shiny and sticky from the trails of tears.

Her shoulders collapse when she sobs again, shaking me to my core. I pull her head into my chest and hold her. She wraps her arms around my middle and squeezes me to the point that it almost hurts.

"Tegan, baby, what happened? What did they do to you?" I ask, massaging her scalp and kissing the crown of her head.

"They.. k-kicked me out.. and.. told me they.. couldn't have a g-gay daughter. H-how could they do that? How can they not l-love me? What's w-wrong with m-me?" She blubbers, her hiccups making her struggle with her words.

I shake my head in disgust over her parents. They didn't deserve to have Tegan as a child, she was much too good for them. I blink back my own forming tears and lift her head, aligning our faces, noses almost touching, and don't let my gaze falter. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Tegan. You are such a genuine, kind-hearted person. They're the ones who are in the wrong. They don't deserve you, okay? It's their loss and you're going to be so much better off without them. I love you so fucking much and I'm going to take care of you and you're going to be okay. I won't ever let anyone hurt you like this again."

"Promise?" She snivels, never letting our eye contact break.

"I promise from the bottom of my heart. You're going to come home with me and you're going to find out what it means to truly be in a family."

She hangs her head and shakes it sadly. "But what if your parents say no..."

"They won't. They love you just as much as they love me, and they won't think twice about letting you stay." I kiss her quickly, but sweetly on the lips. "Are you okay to drive? It's suffocating in here and you're cold and you need to be in a non hostile environment."

She nods and loosens her arms around me, falling back against the seat. She starts the engine while I hoist my bike into the back of the truck and join her again in the passenger seat.

The ride is quiet and fragile all the way to my house, but I manage to hold her hand the entire way, her fingers around mine like a vice grip until she cuts the engine in my driveway. She looks to me, waiting for further instructions, still unsure about everything.

I tug the keys out of the ignition, putting them in my pocket. I don't want Tegan running away anywhere. I turn to her, her head resting against the window as she stares off into space, breathing calmly but a steady stream of tears still flows from each eye. I rest my hand on her knee and squeeze. "I'm going to go let them know what's going on real quick. Will you be okay or do you want to come in too?"

"I'll be okay," she rasps, her throat dry and sore from her sobs.

"Okay. I'll be right back." I nod and jog into the house, finding my parents cooking together in the kitchen.

"Mum? Dad?" I lean against the counter, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes, sweetie?" Mum asks, crouched down in front of the open over, her back facing me.

Dad turns around, takes one look at my face and his smile falters, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Bear? What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath, looking towards the front door, and run my fingers across the counter in a circle. "It's Tegan."

Mum stands and looks at me, worry written all over her face. "What's happened? Is she okay?"

I shrug, my bottom lip trembling, more tears threatening to spill. "Not really. She tried talked to her parents about this whole thing and they kicked her out. They said they wouldn't have a gay daughter."

"Oh goodness, that poor girl." Mum gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Where is she? Is she safe?" Dad asks, taking a step closer and placing a comforting hand on my own.

"She's in the driveway in her truck. I found her at the boat landing, she was, _is_, really shaken up. Is it okay if she stays in Casey's room? She has no where else to go." I remove my hand from the counter to wipe the tear on my cheek off.

"Of course she can!" Mum says, removing her apron and the oven mitt covering her hand off. "Does she have anything with her? We'll help bring it in."

"Thank you so much." I smile graciously, hugging each of them tightly. It was possible I had the best, most understanding parents in the world, and now Tegan would be able to experience what that feeling was like. "She has some stuff but can I take her up to my room first? She's still crying and I don't want her to be smothered by everyone asking her if she's okay and trying to console her."

They both nod sympathetically and head down the hall, hiding until I get Tegan upstairs and comfortable.

I head back to the truck, finding Tegan in the exact same position as I left her, only now the neck of her shirt is soaked through from tears. She moves away from the door and I open it, grabbing the back of her knees and turn her to me, letting her feet dangle from the truck while I stand between them.

"You're going to move into Casey's room, we're going to be together, and you're going to be okay, even happy, okay?" I smile, my own voice shaking from just being around her. My lips meet the top of her bare thigh, exposed from her shorts, and I feel the goosebumps involuntarily rise on her flesh. I look up to her and she gives a weak nod, letting me continue. "My parents will bring your stuff in and we're going to go up to my room and we'll just lay in each other's arms in my bed, talking, crying, sleeping, whatever it is you need to do to feel better. Is that all okay?"

"Yeah." Tegan's voice cracks and she clears her throat, letting me help her out and guide her up the stairs to my room.

I close the door loud enough for my parents to hear and follow Tegan to my bed. She crawls on top of the sheets, over to the far side against the wall and curls into herself, looking over her shoulder. She begs with her eyes for me to join her, and I slip my hoodie off, climbing onto my bed. She rolls over, facing me on her side and hoists a leg over my hip, pulling me close as her fingers latch onto my shirt near my collar bones. I trail one hand up and down her back continuously and snake my fingers of my other hand into her hair, bringing her closer.

She draws a breath, and speaks, her exhales rippling the fabric of my shirt on my chest. "Thank you for saving my life, Sara."

My own breath catches in my throat and when it finally escapes, it's shuddering. I don't even know how to respond to that. I hope the kiss to the top of her forehead suffices and I guess it does when she kisses me softly right over my heart before she falls asleep.

I snuggle into her more, letting my eyes close. I haven't had quite the day Tegan has, but I'm still exhausted and I don't think I can handle listening to the small whimpers Tegan releases every few seconds from her dreams troubled by her thoughts. I fall asleep to the sound of her even breaths.

I wake up when the sun is setting, the weight pressed against my front from earlier, now gone. My bones crack as I stretch out, and I blink my eyes rapidly to get used to the darkness. "Tegan?" I call, unable to find her tangled up in my sheets. There's a faint shuffle away from my bed, behind me, and I roll over, sitting up and spotting Tegan standing at the window, staring out into the woods behind the house.

She turns to me, attempting a smile but it comes across as more of a grimace. I flip the Christmas lights strung across my ceiling on and pat the empty space in my bed. "C'mere."

"How do you feel?" I brush her bangs back when she's sitting across for me, cross legged. She lets herself make eye contact with me and I feel a wave of reassurance. Her eyes are much less puffy and red now. For a while, I didn't think she was ever going to stop crying.

She chuckles somberly, and tilts her head up to the ceiling. "Like my own parents told me they didn't love me and want nothing to do me but also relieved. I don't have to worry about being with you anymore and I think you're what I need most in my life right now, so for that I'm glad."

I nod and lean in, showing her how much she means to me with my lips.

There's a light knock at the door and she quickly pulls away, wiping her lips with the back of her hand then joins it with the other, letting her hands rest in her lap. I hop off the bed and open the door a crack, meeting my parents standing close.

"Is she awake?" Mum asks, adjusting the tray of food in her hands.

"Yeah."

My dad tries to peek into my room and I let the door open a little more. "Can we talk to you two for a couple minutes? We just want to set some ground rules if Tegan's going to be staying, and I'm sure you're both hungry." He points to the stack of freshly made brownies accompanying the tacos and rice.

I nod and back up, resuming my place next to Tegan, holding one of her hands in mine and wait for my parents to start talking once the tray is put in front of us and they're sitting on the edge of the bed.

**Tegan's POV**

I eye the stack of brownies in front of me. If there was anything besides Sara to make me feel better right now, it would be chocolate.

"Go on," Sonia says with a smile, noticing my longing stare. I pick one up and Sara lets go of my hand so I can tear small bites of them off while we listen to her dad.

"First of all Tegan, Sonia and I are so sorry for what you've had to go through. No one, especially a wonderful young woman like you, should have to experience what you did. We want you to know that we love you and are so glad you came into Sara's life. If there's anything you need, even just a talk or hug, we're here for you, both of you. I'm sure more rules are the last thing you want to hear right now, but we want you to feel like this is your home now too and figure it's best to just get it over with right away."

He's right. The last thing I want is to be told what I can and can't do but he's also doing it because he cares and for that I'm thankful. I pop another piece of the gooey chocolate into my mouth and continue listening.

"Most of the rules are just common sense; no alcohol or drugs, no loud music, clean up after yourself and be respectful of everyone else. Curfew is at eleven thirty and we try to eat dinner together daily around six, but it's not a big deal if you are busy with school activities or something, just try to let us know beforehand. As for you and Sara goes, the door open rule still goes and you're to sleep in your own rooms with the exception of tonight. Be mindful of who else is living in the house when you're teenage hormones take over," Bruce's eyebrow shoots up as he stares Sara down. She rolls her eyes and grabs a plate of tacos and rice, diving in.

"And last but not least, absolutely no sex." He points at Sara with a stern finger.

A chunk of brownie gets stuck in my throat and I choke, coughing uncontrollably over his words until I can swallow again. I set the brownie down and wipe my mouth, my face flushed from embarrassment.

"_Daaad_!" Sara whines, shielding her face and shaking her head with equal mortification.

"I'm just saying, I remember when your mother and I were teenagers. We couldn't keep–"

"Oh my God! Stop! We aren't even having sex!" Sara cries out in horror.

I'd laugh at the situation if it weren't me involved in it, but since I am, I cringe along with Sara, wanting to crawl in a hole. There's nothing more awkward than adults, especially the parents of your girlfriend, talking about sex so openly in front of you. Gross.

Sonia laughs, and Bruce clears his throat, feeling his own form of embarrassment. "Oh. Well good. Keep it that way." He abruptly stands up and Sonia follows. "I guess we'll leave you two for the night then. If you need anything at all, come find us, alright?"

"We will." Sara thanks her parents, and follows them to the door. They exchange a few words then she turns around to look at me, shaking her head and laughing.

** Sara's POV**

"Oh my god, that was awful!" I laugh, getting on the bed carefully so I don't knock over our food.

"It kind of was." Tegan chuckles quietly, and I see her smile for the first tonight. God, is it comforting to see those pearly whites.

I brush her bangs back and she peeks up at me, still smiling. I melt and move in closer to her, leaning over the tray dividing us. "It's good to see you smile."

"It feels good to smile." Tegan leans into my touch, fluttering her eyelids while my fingers play with her hair.

"I don't like to see you sad." I add.

"I don't like to feel sad." She banters back.

I chuckle and pull the tray out of the way, kneeling over to her and straddle her, sitting on her lap. She looks me in the eye and tries to smile again, but it just isn't the same. Her eyes are hollow with sadness and only a faint trickle of hope within the brown pools. I hope it's enough to get her through this. "Do you think you're going to be okay?" I kiss her forehead.

She chews her bottom lip for a moment. "Yeah, with you I think I will be."


	16. Sara's Mum and Prom Dresses

** Sara's POV**

Through the wall dividing our rooms I can hear the faint strumming of Tegan playing her guitar. The song isn't recognizable, but it sounds sweet. I press my ear to the wall, listening more closely. Her humming reaches my ear, making me smile. I wonder if it's a song she wrote herself.

I head out my door to hers right down the hall, sneaking in through the cracked door. Leaning against the wall, I stare at her in awe. She gets to a new part in the song, and grits her teeth, changing her whole demeanor. Her head tilts back to rest against the wall and the muscles in her forearms tense as she plays louder, more rough.

My smile falters and I cock my head to the side, a rush of emotions washing over me. Whatever it is she's playing is affecting her majorly, and not in a good way.

I thought I had been making a lot of progress in the five days since she moved in, but perhaps I was wrong and she is a much better actress than I thought.

I start to turn, figuring it's best to leave her alone and give her space to get through this without constantly being babied by me but her humming turns erratic. I glance over my shoulder, my breath catching in my throat. Her back is arched slightly, her head thrown back as she sobs quietly. The sounds from her guitar get increasingly louder, the passion coursing through her making her arm a blur. I've never seen anything so tragically beautiful.

There's a low growl and a sudden sharp pang. I wince, staring at the guitar, and Tegan's eyes pop open in shock. As if in slow motion, her jaw drops along with her head, staring down at the string broken in half, curling out in front of her. She whimpers, the tiniest mewl, and pushes the instrument off her lap to land on the floor with a low thud. I keep still, watching her in this moment that she thinks is private, but is breaking my heart and the worst part is, there is nothing I can do to help her but hold her and tell her it'll be okay.

I take a step towards her, the floorboard creaking beneath me, and Tegan's head shoots up. Her eyes lock on mine and she quickly changes her composure, rubbing the wetness from her eyes and sniffling, letting out a cool, "Hey Sar."

Rushing towards the bed, I topple onto her, forcing her onto her back. I bury my hands beneath her back, snuggled in between her and the bed sheets. My face smashes into the crook of her neck and I squeeze with my arms, hugging her tighter than I ever have, and beg. "Please stop being sad, baby. It's killing me to see you like this. I just want you to be happy again."

"I'm sorry," she cries softly, her body shaking beneath me. She slowly wraps her arms around me and just cries, breaking my heart. I meant it when I said I can't see her like this, and as much as I understand the need to just be sad sometimes, I've got to at least try to get her mind off things before she's past the point of repair.

**Tegan's POV**

"C'mon, I think I might know a way to make you feel better." Sara whispers gently after a while, raising her head from the crook of my neck. I sniffle and quickly wipe away any tears on my face, willing any more from falling.

"Sara, we can't. Your mum is here." I scold, looking towards the open door. Even if we were caught like this, Sara lying on top of me innocently with our limbs entangled, I'd still be horrified. There was also the fact that I didn't think being physical with each other would make me feel better. After all it was what had gotten us into this mess in the first place.

"Not that!" She laughs, shaking her bangs out of her face and moving herself off the bed. She sticks her hand out, offering it to me and I take it, following her lead downstairs to the kitchen, where her mum is scrubbing the counters.

Sara leans against the small island, putting some of her weight on one of the stools and resting her hand under my shirt on the small of my back. Her fingers trace shapeless trails and somehow, it makes me feel a little better. I wipe my eyes one more time, wondering where Sara is going with this.

"Hey Mum." She says, startling her mum out of her cleaning trance.

"Hi girls! What're you up to?" She glances up with a warm smile. Her fringe like bangs stick to her sweaty forehead and she pushes them to the side, glancing between us.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering if you would want to take Tegan dress shopping for prom?" Sara asks. Her hand moves to the left a few inches, squeezing my side. I feel myself relax a little more, thinking it might be a good thing for me to spend some time with an adult, a real parent. I smile at Sara, and she grins back, happy to know I'm not opposed to the idea.

"Of course! I would love to do that." Sonia sets the rag in her hand down before wiping her palms on her jeans. She turns to Sara, "You're not wearing a dress, sweetie?"

"Definitely not, Mum." Sara chuckles, rolling her eyes like it's the most absurd thing she's ever heard. I'm inclined to agree. Picturing Sara in a dress _is _kind of funny. She leans off the counter and wraps her other arm around me, placing her chin on my shoulder. "I would look like a clown standing next to Tegan. I'll be looking spiffy in a suit and tie instead."

Now that is something I can easily picture. I can't wait to see her looking so handsome and acting like the perfect gentleman all night. I really am so in love with her and I know she feels the same just by the way she is holding me. She didn't have to take me in, constantly check up on me, and do whatever she felt would make me feel better, but she did. She just knew what I needed and acted accordingly.

Sonia laughs, but I'm sure she always knew Sara was never going to wear a dress, no matter who it was her date was. "When would you like to go?"

"Uhm, today. Like, now if that's okay." Sara answers for me. I move my hands to her forearms and hold them tightly, feeling nervous. I just suffered a mental break down and she wants me to go out in public, without her, _now_?

"Sure, just let me finish cleaning the kitchen and we'll go over to the mall. Does that sound good?" Sonia looks at me.

I nod my head up and down quickly and Sara squeezes a little harder around my middle before letting go and leading me back upstairs to her room, where we lie under her covers, cuddling, until Sonia calls for me. We share a quick kiss and I go downstairs, following Sonia out the door and to the car. She turns the radio on quietly as we drive and I play with the frays on my bermuda shorts. The awkwardness fills the air. I stare out the window, hoping the mall isn't too far of a drive.

"How are you holding up, sweetie?" Sonia asks, breaking the silence. She turns the radio off and pats my knee. I breathe a sigh of relief.

I look down to my knee and then to Sonia's profile, keeping her eyes on the road but face still slightly cocked in my direction. "Okay, I guess. It just sucks sometimes," I take a deep breath, trying not to think about earlier, "but Sara is being so great. You all are, Mrs. Clement. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough."

"Oh, hon, there's no need to thank us. We're just doing what was right." The lines around her the corner of her lips and eyes crease as she smiles.

I turn back to the window, running my finger along the rubber at the bottom of the window. "Well, thanks. I appreciate it."

A few more awkward minutes pass, and I can't take the burning question on my mind anymore. I clear my throat and speak up, "Uhm, Mrs. Clement, can I ask you a question?"

"_Sonia_, Tegan." She corrects me. We stop at a red light and she finally turns to give me her full attention. "What is it?"

I curse the light for turning red when I needed her to not look at me most. I appreciated the sympathy she felt, but that didn't mean I needed it constantly in my face. I stare straight ahead, watching the blinking red hand for pedestrians count down to zero. "How did you, uhm, react when Sara told you she was gay?"

"Has Sara never told you how it happened?" She asks, and the light turns green.

I shake my head. I can't believe I've never asked her before, or that she's never just told me, but then again, any talk we had about being gay was usually centered around me and not her.

"Well, I don't know how Sara would feel about me telling you this but I found her and Stacy together in her room one night. I think she was sixteen, maybe even fifteen, and naturally I was upset, but it didn't matter that Stacy was a girl, I was just a protective parent that didn't want her little girl to grow up. When I asked Stacy to leave, Sara took it the wrong way. She went kind of ballistic." She makes a right turn and gives me a look, "You'll have to watch out for that quick temper of hers when it comes out, just a friendly warning. Anyway, she just went into a yelling fit, telling me that she was interested in girls, not boys, and broke down. I simply hugged her, told her I loved her no matter what and that if she wanted to be with a woman, that was fine by me. It was a lot less dramatic with her father. I'm sure you've picked up on how close they are. She was nervous to tell him, of course, but I stood by her the whole time and she got through it without any help from me. Overall I don't really think any of us look back on it as a bad experience, and nothing really changed because of it. I'm sorry you couldn't experience the same."

I don't really know how to respond to that, so I simply nod. It seems to suffice since Sonia just smiles sympathetically at me and pats my knee again. The rest of the ride is silent, but comfortable. Soon, we're pulling into the parking lot and heading into a huge department store.

The store is absolutely packed. Dresses line the walls and fill the racks. Somehow, no two are even remotely the same. Some are sleek, sexy and other are poofy and grand, something you would see Cinderella wearing. The glare from all the glitter and sequins is enough to blind anyone. To say it is overwhelming is the understatement of the year. I can't believe Sara expects me to find something she'll like without her actually here! I turn to Sonia, a panicked expression strewn across my features. An amused chuckle passes her smiling lips and she squeezes my shoulder, reassuring me. "Oh hon, don't worry. We'll find something both Sara and you will love. Did you have a color and style in mind?"

"Um," I chew my lip nervously, contemplating. Sara wouldn't like anything too flashy or bright, and frankly, I wouldn't either. If Sara was here to give her opinion, I bet she would want something short, or sexy and revealing. I don't think I would be comfortable enough to wear something like that all night. Especially since it would be the night that Sara and I would finally, officially, be out as a couple. I was popular enough to where I knew people would stare and whisper amongst themselves when they saw me dancing with a girl, and not a boy. I was ready, but still nervous enough. I didn't need a gaudy dress to draw even more attention to us.

I rise to my tippy toes, scoping out the different colors and trying to find the right one. When I spot it, I turn back to Sonia and point to the opposite end of the store. "Black and strapless."

She nods in silent approval and follows my lead, helping pick out an armful with the store clerk, a girl only a few years older than myself. They usher me into a changing room where I'm stripped and shoved into dress after dress. Or, as I prefer to call it, pure torture.

I was perfectly comfortable wearing a dress but this process... Man, Sara is going to owe me big time.

After ten disastrous options, there's only one left on the hanger. I cross my fingers and pray it's the one. I don't think I can handle going to another store and doing this all over again.

The girl helping me zips the back and I turn, checking myself out in the mirror. I catch the girl smiling behind me through the mirror and blush.

I don't want to sound cocky, but the dress is certainly very flattering to my body. The smooth, silky material is hugged tightly around my middle, accentuating my curves I'm not always fond of showing, and a dip deep enough in the front to show a modest amount of cleavage. The bottom is ruched out, decorated with sparkly sequins that get more numerous towards the bottom around my ankles.

"I think we found a winner," the girl smirks, eyeing me up and down. Is she actually checking me out as we stand in a dressing room together? Alone?

Clearing my throat, I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to stop my skin from flushing red. "Yeah, uh, thanks. I-I agree," I stammer, sliding the lock on the door to the left and peek my head out to grab Sonia's attention.

She raises her eyebrows and waves me out, clearly giddy from excitement. I inwardly groan but open the door all the way and step out. Perhaps I could repay my gratitude to her by doing all the girly things with her that Sara had no interest doing.

I walk up to the 360 degree mirror and stop onto the small platform, holding my arms out to my side awkwardly while Sonia takes me in.

"Oh Tegan," she gasps, covering her mouth with her hand, "you look beautiful."

I look down, smiling bashfully. Sonia steps up beside me and straightens some things out on the dress. She makes eye contact with me through the mirror and again squeezes my shoulder. "I think Sara is going to love it."

"Yeah?" I ask, unable to stop the butterflies in my stomach.

"Yes, of course!" She laughs. "Do you like it?"

I nod, feeling the excitement, and reality, of everything finally starting to sink in. I go back into the dressing room and quickly change back into my clothes and wrap the dress up, taking it to the counter and checking out. We go to a shoe store next, finding a conservative pair of black heels and then to a jewelry shop, where I buy a pair of silver medium sized hoop earrings and a silver chain necklace with a single clear crystal dangling from it.

Happy with everything that I've bought, we head to the food court for a quick lunch and then we are back in the car, heading home, the back seat filled with my stuff.

I pile everything into my arms and walk through the front door, spotting Sara and Bruce working on attaching a new string to my guitar on the couch in the living room. Bruce looks confused and Sara's concentrating hard, tightening one of the ends. The sight makes my heart skip a beat. Could she be any more perfect?

Sara looks up at the sound of the door and beams, grinning from ear to ear when she sees all the new things in my arms. "Hi!" She says cheerfully, dropping the tool in her hand, and rushing over to me.

"How was it? Did you have fun? Did you find everything? Was Mum annoying? C'mon, let's go upstairs!" She rambles out in one breath, taking everything from my hands and hurrying off.

I start to giggle and turn around. Sonia rolls her eyes and starts to laugh at Sara's weird antics as well. I step forward and pull her into a hug. "Thank you for today and everything, really. I appreciate it so much. You don't know much it means to me to have a mother figure in my life that really loves and cares about me." I say quietly so no one else can hear.

"Oh Tegan," is all Sonia says as she pulls away from the hug enough to hold my face in her hands. She looks like she's going to cry, and I try not to let the sight make me cry. She smiles and kisses me quickly on the forehead before shooing me away, her voice cracking as she speaks. "Go make sure Sara doesn't look at your dress."

I nod and jog up the stairs after Sara, hoping she hasn't already snooped through everything. I find her hanging the dress up on a hook attached to the wall, her fingers already itching towards the long zipper in the front. I should have known better than to let her take my things. "Hey!" I shout, and lunge towards her, taking her to the ground. Pinning her wrists above her head to the floor and straddling her, my legs press tightly together on either side of her waist. She squirms, giggling.

"I.. I wasn't going to look! I was just checking to see what the color is so I can get a matching suit!" She pants, struggling beneath me. I laugh at her poor cover up and bend my spine, leaning in closer to her face. "It's black."

"Oh, well. Okay." She giggles, lifting her head to kiss me. "So how was it?"

"It was actually a lot fun." I smile, swinging my leg over her to lie beside her instead. I link our hands and turn my head to the side. She rolls onto her side and holds her head in her palm, resting her other palm flat on my stomach while I continue, "You're a lot like her, you're both ..motherly."

"Well damn, if that doesn't make me feel sexy." She cracks up, falling onto her back, her shoulder shaking against mine. I laugh along with her and grab her hand, dragging her up as I get into a standing position and close the few feet between us and my bed. I guide her into a sitting position with her legs out straight and her back against the wall before I crawl on top of her, straddling on her lap and getting as close to her as I possibly can.

"I meant it as a compliment."

"Well thank you, that was very sweet." She chuckles with a hint of sarcasm, but I know she really does like any compliment I give her, no matter how strange it may be.

**Sara's POV**

I tangle my fingers together through Tegan's hair on the back of her head, just above her neck. She smiles at me, and I instantly smile back. Her eyes are filled with much less sadness than they were earlier and I'm thankful I could help, as well as Mum, and that shopping wasn't a complete disaster. I lean forward and kiss her sweetly on the lips. Her cheeks go rosy and she glances down to my lips, staring at them.

"Is there anything going on after prom?" She asks after a moment.

"Like an after party? I can ask around." I answer, twirling strands of her hair between my fingers to occupy myself.

"No." She answers shortly with a quick shake of her head.

I smirk, amused by her quick reaction. I cup her chin and lift her head until she's looking at me again. "No? You don't want to do anything?"

She flicks her eyes away, wide with nerves, and I wait patiently for whatever she has to say, "I do, but I was hoping we could do something more ..uhm.. _special_."

"Really? Are you ready for that? I don't want you to feel like we have to be cliche and do it just because it's prom." I ask, genuinely concerned, but I can't stop the goofy smile appearing on my face. It really was going to be a night we would never forget and finally, _finally_, I could show Tegan what it really meant to be truly connected with someone.

"I'm ready, Sara. I want you to be my first." She nods confidently, then bites her lip. "But on one condition."

**Tegan's POV**

I was tempted to tell Sara that not only did I want her to be my first, but possibly my only as well, but I didn't want to scare her off. Not when I needed her most. Not when I was so vulnerable.

Besides, it was way too early to say something like that. Right?

I shake the thought from my head and tighten my hold on her shoulders.

** Sara's POV**

"What?" I ask, raising an eyebrow and tilting my head to one side.

"Don't go overboard. There doesn't need to be candles, rose pedals, low music, that type of thing. I just want it to be us." She says quietly, dragging her gaze back to my lips. Her long eyelashes curl out, preventing me from seeing her eyes and her lips part as she breathes, feeling self conscious.

Damn. I don't think it's scientifically possible for her to be any more adorable. I tuck her fallen strands of hair back behind her ear and stroke her cheek with the back of my fingertips. "Whatever you want, babe. You just have to tell me what it is you want, and I'll do it for you."

She gives a quick nod and then kisses me, slipping her tongue into my mouth without warning. _Fuck._ I moan into her mouth and dig my nails into her back, making her spine arch. This time she lets out a little moan. Music to my ears. Did we really have to wait until prom? These next two weeks are going to be excruciating...

I pull away from her lips only to reattach them to her neck to suck on her pulse point. She tastes so sweet. Her breath hitches and I grin, nipping lightly at her warm flesh.

"Uhm, Sara?" Tegan breathes out before I can leave a sizable hickey that neither of us want my parents to find.

I let out a faint chuckle and give her one last kiss before I pull away to look at her. "Yes, Tegan?"

"It's not going to change our relationship, is it?" She chews her lip, this time looking me in the eye.

The question sort of takes me by surprise. I guess I hadn't really thought of it, at least not from her perspective. She's probably more nervous than I can even imagine. I was nervous too, but at least I had been with another person before. This was all still so new and fresh to her, she probably can't conceive all that is going to happen. "Oh, uh, I think it will, but in good ways. We'll be stronger, more connected. It's going to be great, I promise." I reassure her then put her on her back, underneath me, in one swift movement.

I hold myself up by my hands on either side of her head, kissing her lovingly over and over again on her lips and face until she, once again, stops me.

"Sar?" She asks, barely audible with a slight shake in her voice.

"Hm?" I mumble into her cheek, my lips never leaving her skin.

"What were you and Stacy doing when your mum caught you?" She questions with her warm breath right into my ear. It would have given me goosebumps if she had asked anything but that.

"Wow, you really know how to kill the mood." I drop my forehead to rest on hers and laugh. I silently curse Mum for telling her that, but I guess they had to talk about something.

"I'm serious! Why didn't you tell me that's how you came out?" She questions. I can hear the panic in her voice and sit back on my heels, grabbing her hands in mine. I rub the pad of my thumbs over the back of her hands and make sure to keep eye contact with her so she knows I'm serious.

"Because it was nothing, babe. We were just _really _high and making out." I bite my lip, feeling my stomach drop. "Are you mad?"

She exhales loudly, shaking her head. She doesn't look mad, but she doesn't exactly look pleased either. The seconds feel like an eternity while I wait for her to speak.

"No... It's not like we even knew each other when it happened, but I just really don't like Stacy." She finally says with a sigh.

I understood Tegan's distaste for Stacy, but she was my best friend and didn't know her like I did. Yes, the way Stacy was treating Tegan was unreasonable, but she had to get over it eventually. I just felt better when we didn't talk about her. I put my weight back on top of Tegan and roll us, putting her on top, tittering, "Then why don't we stop talking about her?"


	17. Nerves and Preparations

**A/N: **First of all, thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews on the last chapter! When I first came up with this story, I never expected so many of you to be able to relate to it. It makes me feel accomplished even if some of your stories didn't go as happily as this one is (which makes me feel awful, I just want to give you all a hug!)

Most of you asked for this chapter to be prom, but I've decided to split it into two parts, so this wasn't a 7,000 word chapter and you guys had to wait extra long for me to write it. I promise I'll try to work harder to get the second part up soon!

So thank you, enjoy, and review! :D

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**Sara's POV**

"Sara!" Tegan squeaks when I enter her room unannounced, like usual. She hastily slams her laptop shut in a panic and slides it under her sheets. She smooths her hair back cooly and leans back against her headboard. "What's up?"

I smirk, suppressing a laugh, and hope onto her bed with a bounce. "Why don't you tell me?" My hand slides under the sheet to pull the laptop out. She must have been looking at something real interesting if she doesn't want me to see, so naturally I'm going to do what it takes to find out.

"Please don't open that." Tegan pleads. She tries tugging it away from me but I tug back harder, winning.

I open it up to more pleads from Tegan and am met with something I never expected to see on Tegan's screen. Porn. Lesbian porn. I wiggle my eyebrows at her and hit play, only making it through a few seconds of cringeworthy moaning and some rather violent actions before I rush to hit pause. Oh no. _Bad _lesbian porn.

"Oh honey." I cringe. This was bad. Those nails would tear apart anyone in seconds. "Please don't get that done at the salon tomorrow."

"Oh my God. Please just shoot me now. Please." Tegan buries her reddened face behind a pillow.

"Tegan," I laugh, pulling the pillow away. She looks to the ceiling and I cup her jaw, pulling her face down to make eye contact. "Why are you looking at that? I know you don't ..you know." I make a circular motion over my groin, and I guess it was the wrong gesture to do.

"Please shut up." Tegan groans, falling onto her back and rolling to the side, hiding herself against the wall.

I laugh and try to get her on her back but she's like a boulder. Much too strong for me. "Tegan, I'm not going to go away until you tell me." I start poking her playfully in the side. "C'mon Tee. It's _me_. You can tell me anything."

Tegan makes a frustrated noise and reluctantly sits up, closing out of the browser on her computer, relieving us both. She avoids looking at me while she speaks. "I was looking for ..pointers."

"Well that one certainly had a set of pointers on her." I joke.

Tegan grimaces. She distracts herself from her insecurities by rolling the laptop charger between her fingers. I fight the urge to hold her hands in my own instead. "Seriously Sara, I don't know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow night! What if I suck? You'll break up with me, go out with Stacy, and I'll have to move out. I don't have anywhere to go! Where am I going to go?!"

Her breathes are frantic, her chest heaving. Woah. I didn't realize this was freaking her out so much.

"Babe, hey." I wrap my arms around her middle and pull her onto my lap. Her worries were so far out of the ball park, it made me wonder what she really thought of me or if she was just that anxious of a person. "First of all, I would never leave you for Stacy. Ever. Secondly, I don't expect you to be a pro the first time, just like I don't expect myself to be either! We're going to be awkward, and explore each other together. I promise tomorrow is going to be a night neither of us ever forget." I lean in and kiss her cheek. She seems to relax a little, but not enough to my liking.

"So it's not really going to be like that video?" Tegan asks shyly through her thick eyelashes that make her look so innocent.

"Fuck no." I laugh. She laughs too, and shifts, getting off my lap and sitting across from me so she can see me. "There will be no slapping of any lady parts, and absolutely no moaning like a dead cow."

"Oh thank God." Tegan sighs with a faint chuckle. "I was really starting to freak out."

"You're not having second thoughts then?" I bite my lip. I didn't want to wait any longer, but I would for Tegan's sake.

After a moment of hesitating, she gives her head a shake. "No, as long as you promise I won't make a fool of myself."

I laugh and motion her in for a kiss, "I promise."

**Tegan's POV**

I wake up to the sun beaming through the open drapes I forgot to close last night and half of Sara's body on top of me, her hair sprawled out around my neck, her head resting on my rising and falling chest. I lift my hand from the small of her back and stretch out my neck from side to side while rubbing the sleep from my eyes with my balled up fist.

Sara shifts, nuzzling her face deeper into my chest, covered only by my thin v-neck and sighs happily. So cute, and somehow that little sigh was insanely hot. I could feel my nipples harden, much to my dismay, but I knew that if even that could get me excited, then my body was definitely ready for tonight and my nerves were just me overreacting.

Tonight. Oh man. I'm really hoping Sara is right about everything she said last night. If I screw up, there's no way I'll ever be able to look her in the eye again. I'll be so humiliated.

I hear footsteps coming down the hall and panic sets in. Sara spent the night in my bed. That was a no-no. In only two weeks I had managed to break one of the few rules I had. Nothing happened, obviously, except a little making out. "It will help ease your nerves, Tee," Sara had whispered in my ear and just like that, I was putty in her arms for a good hour or two until we fell asleep.

There's a single loud knock on the door and I freeze. Sara's dad. I frantically shake Sara awake, pushing her off me, and accidentally off the bed just as Bruce opens the door slowly.

I peek over the edge of the bed and then glance up guiltily.

"What the fuck?" Sara mutters, getting to her hands and knees, still disoriented from sleep.

Bruce raises his eyebrows at me before nudging a foot at Sara. "I sure hope that's where you slept all night, Bear."

"Huh?" Sara says groggily, looking around the room, finally realizing where she is and gets to her feet faster than I've ever seen her move. "Oh, yeah. Of course. Tegan wasn't feeling all that great last night and I was just sitting with her until she fell asleep. I guess I fell asleep too."

I smile weakly and he seems to believe the lie. I don't think he would have really been all that mad anyway. He has a soft spot for the both of us; his little girl and her orphaned girlfriend.

"Well I just came in to let Tegan know Sonia wants to leave by eleven so you should probably get up and hop in the shower soon."

"Okay, thanks." I nod and swing my legs off the bed, bumping into Sara. She grunts and buries her face in her hands, crabby from being awoken so rudely.

Bruce leaves without another word, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Was that really necessary?" Sara whacks me in the shin. She moves up to my bed and plops down next to me, resting her tired head on my shoulder. Her hair tickles my neck and I struggle not to laugh as I speak. "Sorry... I panicked."

"You think?" Sara laughs, easily putting me on my back with her thigh between my legs and pinning me down by the wrists. Her voice is raspy as she speaks against my lips, "I might just have to punish you tonight instead."

I whine, pushing back just enough to where she can still manage to overpower me. I know her words are meant to tease, turn me on, and it's working. I didn't know exactly what I was into yet but I definitely know I love it when Sara pins me down and makes me at her mercy.

I stare at her lips, licking my own dry ones. "What?" Sara asks, licking her own in lips in response.

"Nothing," I smile. I lift my head from the bed to give her a kiss. "I just love you is all."

"Aw babe," Sara coos, giving me a sweet eskimo kiss. "I love you too."

I grin, kissing her again quickly before she pulls away. I love the way it sounds when she says that. Everything she says always sounds genuine, except for when she's goofing off, but whenever she says those three words.. It's like she would stumble and choke if she ever tried to say them to someone else. They were meant solely for me.

"You should probably listen to my dad and get in the shower. You'll get on Mum's bad side real quick if you make her late." Sara lets my wrists go and rests her back against the wall.

"Well I don't want that. Your mum is so cool." I get up and start collecting comfy clothes to wear while I'm getting my hair and nails done.

"So you got a crush on my mum, huh?" She mocks with a playful grin, hugging one of my pillows to her chest.

"Definitely not." I roll my eyes and throw a dirty shirt at her, hitting her right in the face. Her laughs are muffled by the fabric and I chuckle. She was such a goof. I catch her bunching the shirt into a ball out of the corner of my eye and then she sticks her nose into it, inhaling deeply. "You smell good."

I smile to myself and pick up another shirt, tossing it behind me in her direction. A second later I feel it hit the back of my head along with Sara's giggles. Her arms wrap around me from behind and I straighten up, leaning back into the touch. "I'll see you downstairs one last time before you leave, okay?" She whispers in my ear then gives my bum a few taps. I whip my head around and flash her a grin. She pecks me and ushers me out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom. Who knew living with your girlfriend and her parents could be so great?

I take my time showering, washing everything twice. A cloud of steam fills the entire bathroom when I pull the curtain back and I have to wipe a spot on the mirror with my palm. I turn from side to side, checking out every angle of my body. Sara and I have only seen each other topless before. I trail my eyes lower to the small gap between my thighs. Thinking about it now, it seems like a huge jump for us to take, but Sara wants it and I want to make her happy. I take a deep breath and ring my hair out with a towel before slipping into a loose pair of jeans and one of Sara's baggy flannel button ups I've now declared as mine.

I head downstairs into the kitchen, popping a chunk of a poptart into my mouth the second Sara hands it to me. She takes a bite of her own and eyes me up and down. "How do you manage to always look so hot?" She practically moans, resisting the urge to litter me with kisses with her parents in the next room.

It's hard not to blush while I finish my breakfast just in time to be dragged out the door to the salon. Sonia shoots question after question at me the whole ride, asking how I want this and that. It's a little stressful. I've never had any of this stuff done before, and Sara didn't give me any hints to what she wanted me to look like.

The hairdresser is a bubbly petite blonde girl and as soon as I tell her I don't know what I want, she grabs my jaw and squints her eyes, studying my face. After a moment she nods and gets to work, plugging the curling iron in and spraying my hair with different cans of products.

Sonia flips through a magazine in the chair next to me and I watch the girl work expertly with my hair. I try to focus on what she's doing so I can get a few pointers, but it looks complicated. Two hours and forty bobby pins later, she's done. The girl holds a mirror behind me to show me the back. The loose curls are all pinned back and my bangs, in tighter curls, are swooped across the left side of my forehead. It's pretty, very pretty, but not typical. Sara is going to love it.

"Oh, sweetie!" Sonia awes, smiling. She flashes a quick picture with her camera and follows me to a new chair where I get my make up done. Dark grey eye shadow, a smudge of eyeliner on top, and a nude lip gloss. Simple, but classy. Next are the nails. Taking Sara's advice into consideration, it only takes a few seconds for me to decide which polish to get after I scan over the shelves once.

"I'll just take the clear," I pick up the bottle and hand it to the girl, who raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? We can find a color that will look great with your whole get up." She replies, reaching for a purple color.

"I'm sure." I nod. I sit down in yet another chair and watch the girl work quickly. My nails are short from playing the guitar so she doesn't have much to work with. Just a quick filing and a couple coats before we're on our way back to the house.

"Are you excited?" Sonia asks with a grin, pulling up to a red light.

I try to smile back without grimacing too much. "Yeah, and a little nervous," I admit, and she seems to understand where I'm going with it. Normally I'd be mortified to even hint at sex around an adult, but like I said, Sonia was cool and she knew that Sara and I were adults and eventually things would start happening.

She nods, letting off the brake and pressing on the gas. "It can be quite the big step for a couple, but Sara's a sweetheart. She'll make sure your comfortable, and if you aren't, don't be afraid to say so. She'll listen."

"Yeah, I know." I smile, staring out the window and picturing Sara in her room, hiding things in her overnight bag to make the night extra romantic even though I specifically asked her not to. I knew she was just trying to make me feel special, and I appreciated it more than she knew.

We pull into the drive way, and I wait in the car while Sonia makes sure the coast is clear and Sara is in her room so she doesn't sneak a peek before I hurry into my room to get my dress on and finish up any final touches.

**Sara's POV**

I can't stop bouncing from foot to foot. Any second Tegan will be coming down the stairs, all dolled up. Mum and Dad are on either side of me waiting to snap pictures and coo over how adorable we are together.

I hear Tegan's door shut upstairs and my heart starts beating faster. Any second now...

The click clacking of her heels gets louder and louder. I can't help my lips from turning up into a huge grin. One of my favorite things about Tegan is her versatility. She can pull off an androgynous, tomboy look, like this morning, and also a completely feminine look, like tonight, and always manage to look good.

She reaches the top of the stairs and my breath catches in my throat. I fumble with the white boutonniere in my hands from being stunned. She is so gorgeous. She is all mine. She blushes and smiles at me, never taking her eyes off me as the distance between us gets smaller and smaller.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Tee." I mutter, but the words don't do her justice. I take in her slim, sparkling dress and the smokey eye make up making her eyes pop out. She would undoubtedly be the classiest, prettiest girl at prom tonight and I was going to be her perfect accessory in my grey tuxedo and pompadour hair.

"You look so handsome." Tegan replies back, reaching forward to toy with my tassel tie.

I take the time to lean in and kiss her on the cheek and show her the boutonniere before slipping it onto her wrist while Mum starts flashing the first of many photos, blinding us with the constant stream of flashing.

"You two are so cute together!" Mum fawns over us, handing the camera off to Dad and pulling us both into a suffocating hug.

"Mum, please." I whine, trying to push her off, but her hold tightens and I'm roped back in, squished shoulder to shoulder to Tegan.

"Oh, I just love you girls so much!" Mum plants kisses on our foreheads before letting us go and motioning us towards the living room. "Now go stand in front of the fire place so I can take some nice pictures."

I link my hand with Tegan's and lead us to the brick fire place and wrap my arms around her stomach from behind. I can see her rouged cheeks grow darker and her abs tighten through the silky material covering them. Being able to feel them is driving me insane. It's going to be a long night until we get to the hotel.

We pose for what feels like a thousand pictures, switching positions each time until Mum is satisfied and we're finally allowed to leave.

"Have fun! Be safe!" Mum calls out and Dad sneaks in a quick wave and nod of the head to me before shutting the door.

"Thank God that's over." I sigh, opening Tegan's door on her truck and helping her fit her dress in so she's still able to drive. I offered to pay for a cab all night or to pitch in with her group of friends who were renting a limo but she insisted that we take her truck and that she drive.

She smiles at me, giving a thumbs up, and I shut the door, throwing our bags in back and hopping in on the other side.

"It wasn't that bad. Your mum is just being a proper mum. I think it's nice." She smiles, turning the key in the ignition.

"Yeah, and she's right. We are adorable together." I lean across the middle console and peck her carefully on the cheek, making sure not to ruin her blush.

Tegan turns my way and kisses me lovingly. The tip of her tongue just barely grazes my top lip and I resist the urge to take her right here in the truck. She pulls away and rests her forehead to mine. "You look amazing, Sara, I mean it. I'm the luckiest gal in the world."

"Aw, Tee. I could say the same, but amazing doesn't even begin to cover how breathtaking you look. I'll be knocking out guys left and right all night from them ogling you."

She blushes and looks back to the road, grinning all the way to the restaurant parking lot. I barely even manage to get myself to blink the whole ride with my eyes glued to her, taking in every last inch. I don't want to take my eyes off of her for even one second the whole night.

I grab her hand and lead us through the doors of Buchanan's, the same restaurant I had my birthday at. It was the only place in town that was classy and romantic, but also wouldn't clear out your bank account. We could have gone out with either of our groups of friends but we decided to do something more romantic and private so I got us a secluded table in the back, where lit candles and more white flowers to match the ones on her wrist awaited her.

After all, Tegan never said anything about not making a big deal of things before we got to our hotel room.


	18. A Gymnasium and A Hotel Room

**A/N: **Please don't hate me.

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**Tegan's POV**

"Sara," I tsk, melting over the sight in front of me. She beams, clearly proud of herself, and holds my chair out for me. I smile my thanks and smooth the back of my dress before sitting down.

Sara sits across from me and holds my hand in both of hers, rubbing the pads of her thumbs across my skin. Looking into her eyes, my heart swells. Sara is perfect for me. Sara would be perfect for a lot of people, but here she was, with me. I was the luckiest person on earth. _She _chose _me_.

"I already knew you were an absolute sweetheart Sare, but wow. This is really romantic." I roll one of the white flower pedals between my fingertips. I don't know what kind it is but somehow even that was the perfect choice.

"Really?" Sara grins wide, squeezing my hand hard. She looks nervous. More nervous than me. I didn't think that was possible.

"Of course. You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me though."

"I know. I just really wanted to make you feel special. Are you mad?" She drops my hand and places hers in front of her plate, wringing them together.

I open my mouth to answer but the waiter comes, bringing a chilled bottle of sparking juice and quickly taking our order. I pour each of us a glass and take a small sip, enjoying the fruity carbonation. Sara downs half of hers in one gulp as if it were real wine that could alleviate her nerves.

"Why would I be mad at you?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Well you said not to make a big deal out of tonight." Sara gestured to the table, her eyebrows creasing. "I don't really listen that well, do I?"

I start laughing, much to Sara's confusion. She was so absurd sometimes. I stand up and lean over the table, careful not to start my dress on fire. "C'mere."

Sara connects her lips to mine and I smile. "I'm not mad, silly. I just meant I don't want it to feel like a big deal, even if it is a big deal. This is really, really nice, so thank you."

"Anything for you, Tee." She mumbles against my lips, and starts to pull me closer with her hand wrapped around my neck. The waiter, who must have came during our, what was supposed to be, private moment clears his throat. I pull away and sit back down, blushing, avoiding the waiter's face until he leaves again.

We took our time eating, offering each other bites of our food, talking about this and that, and getting caught up in a game of casual footsie. It was nice, and relaxing. It's so easy to picture us doing this five years from now, and if we're lucky, fifty years from now.

"Do you want dessert?" Sara asks, peeking over the small dessert menu.

"Sure." I answer, wiping the corners of my mouth, careful not to smudge any of my make up.

Sara waves the waiter over, ordering something chocolatey for us to share. When it arrives, she feeds the first bite to me and I return the favor. We repeat the process until there's nothing left but the bill to pay. I'm tempted to reach for it, but I know Sara will protest. She's been telling me for the past week that I'm her lady and I'm going to let her treat me as such. I didn't see the need to protest, so I kept my mouth shut and my hands in my lap.

** Sara's POV**

I slip forty dollars under my glass and help Tegan from her chair, wrapping my arm around her waist as we walk out side by side. She slings her arm around my shoulder and kisses me sweetly on the cheek. I look down to the ground bashfully, smiling, wishing that every night we spent together could be like this. I wanted to spend the rest of my life taking care of Tegan and showing her off to the world.

I help her get back into the truck and it's a quick ride to school. Tegan reaches for the handle of her door, but I stop her, instead cupping her jaw and leaning into kiss her. We could afford to waste a few minutes.

"Are you sure you don't want to skip the dance and just go straight to the hotel?" I murmur, taking a deep breath, nuzzling into her neck to breathe in her sweet scent and leave a trail of kisses down to her collar bone. I rest my head on her shoulder and admire her strong jawline, running my finger down it. I have so much love inside of me for Tegan, I could burst.

Tegan giggles and brushes my hand away. "As tempting as that sounds, I want to see you shake it a bit first."

"Well if you insist," I sit up straight and start moving my shoulders and shaking my fists to an imaginary song in my head. Tegan bursts into laughter, making me move more obnoxiously just so I can hear her laugh a little harder and a little longer.

"Okay, okay." She stops me, still giggling. I smile wide and kiss her one more time before hopping out and holding her door for her. She thanks me with another quick kiss and I lead us into the gymnasium, decorated with black and white streamers, balloons, and any other decorations the prom committee could scrape up money for. It wasn't anything overly fancy, but I had the girl of my dreams on my arm and that was the only thing that mattered.

We find her group of friends all gathered at a table, talking and drinking punch, so we decide to join them before Stacy spots us and demands we come sit with her and her date. No one seems surprised when Tegan sits on my lap after I sit down on the last chair even though she decided not to tell any of her friends about us. I got used to pretending like Tegan was just my friend at school, even if it did bother me in the beginning, but I understood her hesitation. I wrap my arms around her waist and hug her tightly, grinning over how I would be able to hold or kiss her during school now, even if there was only a little over a month left until we graduated.

Some of the guys get up to get their dates drinks, and I follow along, leaving Tegan to gossip with her friends about whose date looks the cutest. No offense to her friends choices, but I'm pretty sure I come in first on that one. The guys don't say anything to me while I wait my turn to pour the punch but they seem to accept me as one of them.

"For you, m'lady." I whisper into Tegan's ear from behind, offering her one of my cups. Her hand flies to her heart, trying to stop it from beating so fast from my sneaking up on her. I chuckle and sit back down, resting a hand on Tegan's thigh while she continues to talk with her friends. I tune them out, sipping on my drink, and just admire Tegan. Call me bias, but none of the other girls so far even compare to how beautiful Tegan looks tonight. I start placing light kisses from one shoulder to the next, and Tegan sets her empty hand on top of mine, tracing the outline of my hand from thumb to pinky. I don't know how much time passes of us just sitting here, but I don't mind. Tegan seems happy hanging with her friends with me by her side, and I'm perfectly content just basking in her presence, listening to her laugh and stealing glances at her smile and placing random kisses to the light freckles on her shoulders.

"Do you want to dance?" Tegan looks over her shoulder and asks once her friends get up and head towards the dance floor, leaving us alone.

"Of course." I smile, following her onto the dance floor with my hands already on her hips, fingertips tapping along to the beat.

The upbeat song lasts for only a few more fist pumps, and a slow song comes on. I grab Tegan's waist and pull her in close. She loops her arms loosely over my shoulders and we sway slowly. As we start to turn, giving me a view of all the other students, I notice just how many people are glancing our way and whispering amongst themselves. I look back to Tegan, wanting to make sure she's okay, and she's looking at everyone else, her focus bouncing from one person to the next. I know we're thinking the same thing and I ease back a little, placing my hands higher up on her waist.

I move my head into her line of vision, asking, "Are you okay?"

Tegan blinks a few times before looking into my eyes, smiling weakly. "Yeah, it's just ..weird. What do you think they're all thinking?"

"Honestly? As long as no one dumps pig blood on you, I don't really care."

Tegan laughs at that, and I grow a little more confident but resist the urge to lean in and kiss her. If she's comfortable, she'll take the initiative.

"You know what? I don't care either." She takes one more look around then squares her shoulders, holding me closer and kissing me passionately, tongue and all. I can't help but feel on top of the world. We kiss the remainder of the song, and the next one starts with a heavy, but sensual bass. I spin Tegan around and pull her backside to my front, and she starts grinding into me like she's some sort of highly experienced pole dancer, making the silkiness of her dress move along the front of my pants in just the right way. Who knew Tegan had _that_ in her?

I bite my lip hard and move in sync with her, positive that our movements are not high school appropriate and we'll be kicked out any second. The crowd swallows us and we completely lose ourselves in the music. Tegan reaches her hand back to hold the back of my head, messing up my perfectly coifed hair. My hand is slowly inching up the front of her dress, dangerously close to grabbing her breast while pulling her so close to me that if it were possible, we would morph into one.

The song dies down and Tegan turns to face me in my arms. She's got the biggest smile I've ever seen and her curled bangs are matted to her forehead. Have I mentioned that Tegan is utterly beautiful?

"God, I love you." I tell her and kiss her. I kiss her so hard, she staggers back a bit. I hold onto her tighter and I don't need to hear her say the words to know that she loves me back. Just one look is all it takes for me to know, or even by the way she touches me.

"Sare," Tegan whispers in my ear. Her head rests on my shoulder while we dance slowly and each of her exhales tickles my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Yes?" I tilt my head down, giving her my full attention.

"I have to pee." She admits, giggling. "Will you help me with my dress?"

"Of course." I let Tegan lead us out of the gymnasium hand in hand and down the hall to the bathroom, where a hoard of other girls stand, waiting their turn. We get to the end of the line and I stand behind Tegan with my hands linked across her stomach and sway us slowly to the distant sound of the bumping music.

"Hey Sara." I hear Stacy's familiar voice and turn Tegan and I around. "You look really nice," she smiles at me then eyes Tegan up and down, jealousy clearly set in her eyes. "You look really pretty Tegan."

"Thanks." We answer in unison, both taken aback by her kindness.

"You look pretty too. Who did you come with?" Tegan asks, cocking her head to the side and resting her hands on top of my own.

Stacy makes a face, a mix between a grimace and utter regret, and points behind her to Jack and Ted down the hall, being obnoxious. "Jack. I think he's drunk. Ted too."

"And that surprises you?" I laugh and Stacy laughs too, shaking her head.

We make small talk until it's Tegan and I's turn, and I follow her into the roomy handicap stall. The second I slide the lock into place, I am all over Tegan. My tongue is slipping into her mouth to mingle with hers, my hands are squeezing her hips before sliding down to her thighs, rubbing her over her dress. Her hands tangle themselves in my hair and her moans are creeping up her throat and I try harder to coax them out. I don't give a damn if every one else in the bathroom can hear us, including Stacy.

Reluctantly Tegan pulls away and leans back against the wall, breathing heavily. A smile pulls at the corner of her glossed lips and she runs her hands up and down my arms. "What was that for?"

"You mean 'Will you help me with my dress?' wasn't code for 'Let's go make out in the bathroom'?" I ask, going in for another another lip lock.

"No," she shakes her head, laughing. "It means I really have to pee and there is too much dress for me to hold by myself."

"Oh." I blush and Tegan laughs at me harder.

When she regains her self control, I help her gather her dress while she does her business, turning around when she orders me to with a flushed face. I roll my eyes and cover my face, tapping my foot against the tile until she's completely finished.

"Thank you." Tegan smiles and pushes her way out the door and towards the sink to wash her hands. I join her, scrubbing soap into my palms, and catch more stares from the other girls. I think it's safe to say that they definitely heard us making out.

I follow Tegan back into the gym where we sit for a while, sipping on punch and talking to a few of my friends. Most of them are drunk or high. I'm not surprised and I'm glad I have Tegan to be here with and I'm not one of them for once. When we finish our punch we dance our way back out to the dance floor and move our bodies to the music to the point of sweaty exhaustion until the lights come on.

I'm almost a little sad that it's over, but at least the time has come for us to have the real fun.

**Tegan's POV**

I drive along the dark city streets into downtown Calgary, following Sara's directions to the hotel she booked us a room.

She puts the middle console up and scoots in right next to me, snuggling the entire ride. I hold her hand and she sighs, clearly more than ready for tonight to continue. I'm glad she can't see or hear my stomach doing summersaults from the nerves or the fear set deep in my eyes.

I park and Sara grabs our overnight bag from the back, filled with pajamas and other essentials, and we walk into the ritzy lobby where Sara checks in and gets our key card. We take the elevator up to the third floor and into our room.

The room is like any other standard hotel room, but with a little better decor than usual. It's not at all romantic but then again, I wasn't really expecting it to be.

Sara drops the bag onto the dresser and slips her dress shoes off then spins around to face me. I twist my hands together nervously near the door and smile shyly. She grins and walks up to me, bending down and reaching under my dress to unstrap my heels and throw them behind her to join hers.

She stands back up and cups my face, stroking my cheeks with her thumbs. I look into her twinkling eyes, shining with nothing but love. And then she's kissing me like she's starving and I'm her only nutrient. Her movements are slow, making sure they'll leave me feeling her touch once it's gone.

I wrap my fingers around her forearms, letting her take the lead, taking much more than giving. It feels a lot like our first kisses and that makes me feel giddy, although it is also leaving me feeling a little unsure, just like I was then.

Sara's hands move down to my shoulders and she pulls away just enough for our lips to still touch. Our eyelids flutter open and we both smile wide, unable to contain our girlish giggles.

"I love you Tegan." Sara mutters between more sweet kisses.

"I love you Sara." I reply back.

We make our way to the bed and Sara shrugs her jacket off before climbing onto me. She eases me onto my back and my head nestles into the fluffy pillow. It's not as comfy as Sara's bed or pillows, but it will do.

Sara lays her body flush against mine, one hand on my hip, the other behind the back of my head. She continues kissing me and I wrap my arms around her back, holding her close and reveling in the comfort she brings. She starts trailing kisses to my cheek then down my jaw and then neck, where she bites lightly at my sweaty skin before soothing it with her tongue. The hand on the back of my head moves down to the zipper of my dress, pulling it down painstakingly slow. I arch my back, pressing our chests together, and the rest of the zipper comes down in one tug. Sara's breathy chuckle blows across my neck and I shiver, digging my nails deeper into her back, causing her to let out a low moan and sit up.

I lean up on my elbows, watching her watch me while she slowly unbuttons her top to reveal her grey, lacy bra. I bite my lip, trailing my gaze all the way up to her eyes. When we connect, she smirks and flashes me a wink, wiggling out of the top and letting it fall to the bed. It amazes me how she can go from adorable to completely sexy in no time at all.

Sara shuffles off the bed and grabs the bottom of my dress, pulling it off my body. I cross my legs, flushing from being the most exposed I've ever been in her presence in my strapless bra and striped bikini cut undies.

"Wow, babe." Sara says cheekily, checking me out shamelessly. She unclasps her bra and slips out of it. A goofy smile forms on my face faster than I can blink. It's been over a month since I've seen Sara like this. In fact, the last time was... oh.

Sara jumps onto me, touching and squeezing every fleshy part of my body after she gets my bra off. I clench my eyes shut, trying to get the images of the night my mum caught us in the basement out of my mind, but they just won't leave. I start to panic. Sara's hand slips beneath the waistband of my underwear, grabbing my ass and dipping her fingers lower and lower, increasing my heart rate each inch she gets closer to where she's been waiting to go.

"Wait, wait, wait. Sara." I pant, rolling us over so I'm on top and pull her hand away. She places it on my hip without protest but her tongue continues its assault on my neck, and she hums, "Hmm?"

"I have to go to the bathroom." I say, covering my chest and scurrying into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I turn the faucet on, and splash the cold water onto my face, letting it drip back into the sink while I take deep breaths. I want Sara so bad, the state of my damp underwear proves that, but I don't think I can go through with it. Sex changes things. That's a fact. I like how things with Sara are now. I mean we're only eighteen and we've only been together for around four months. We had our entire lives to sleep together, couldn't we just cuddle a while until things had to get serious?

Then there's the whole not being able to have her touch me below the waist without my parents filling my mind, and there's nothing more not hot than that. And now that we're in the hotel room, I'd rather do it anywhere else but Sara is going to hate me if I make her wait any longer.

I take a few more deep breaths and pat my face dry with a hand towel then walk back out to join Sara. She's laying back comfortably, waiting for me, with her chest completely exposed and her legs relaxed, slightly spread. My arms are still crossed over my chest. I envy her being so comfortable in her skin and being able to turn her mind off to let her body think for her.

I sit on the edge of the bed. Sara shimmies closer and plants fleeting kisses from my lower back to my shoulder blades, using her hands to remove my arms from their crossed position to give her access to my chest. I hang my head and she straddles me, moving her lips to my face. The first tear falls, and then the second. She kisses them away as if she expected to find them there and guides me down to my back. She lies slightly to the side of me and continues to kiss each tear as it falls.

"You're not ready." She states, already knowing the answer, and brushes my bangs from my forehead.

"Do you hate me?" I whimper, hugging her.

"How could I hate you Tee? I love you." Sara kisses my forehead.

A little of the weight is lifted from my shoulders but I still feel awful. She was looking forward to this night so much. We both were.

"Are you mad?"

Sara chuckles and forces me to look at her, shaking her head. "I'm not mad. Was it something I did?"

"No, of course not. It's all me, not you." I sit up and get off the bed, searching for where Sara dropped my bra. I clasp it back on and move to pick my dress up from the ground. "Can we just go home?"

"Oh." She says quietly, finding her own bra. "We have the room for the whole night. We can just order room service and some pay per view instead. No funny business, I promise." She holds her hands up innocently.

I straighten my dress out and reach for the zipper, struggling to get it up from the weird angle my hands are in. "I just want to lay in your bed and watch a movie or something. This hotel makes me feel ..dirty."

"Yeah, okay." Sara starts buttoning her shirt and helping me with my dress. "We can stop at the grocery store on the way and pick up some junk food."

"Okay." I smile. I turn around and help her adjust her tassel and collar before connecting my lips to hers. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry."

She kisses me back and waves my apology away. We gather our things and I go to sit in the truck while she checks us out. It's a quick stop at the store. Sara's an expert when it comes to finding the best junk food and she filled an entire basket by the time I picked something out for us to drink.

We hold hands on the drive home. We don't say anything to each other but every thing seems to be alright. I'm sure a part of Sara is disappointed in tonight but she cares more about me and my needs to let it get her down. I squeeze her hand to let her know I'm sorry and that somehow, I'll make it up to her.

In her house, we sneak quietly up the stairs. Neither of us want to wake her parents and have to explain why we're back so early. Sara tip toes back down stairs to get the food ready and I slip into my pajamas in my room, grab a few pillows and blankets from my own bed, and go flop onto Sara's bed. I browse through a selection of movies on her lap top, settling on Tangled, and wait under the covers, sipping from a bottle of soda.

"Comfy?" Sara asks, walking in with two bowls in each hand, one filled with popcorn, the other with goldfish crackers, and a variety pack of candy bars nestled between her chin and chest.

"Yup," I grin, feeling much better being in her bed. I take the food from her, popping a piece of popcorn into my mouth and Sara goes to her closet, strips down to her boy shorts and throws a plain white tank top on. She joins me on her bed, sitting behind me so I'm sitting between her legs, and grabs a handful of gold fish, munching on them.

I hit play, snuggling into Sara, and wait for the movie to start. Sara starts taking out all of the bobby pins in my hair, knowing my head will feel terrible in the morning if I sleep in them. With each curl released, Sara kisses the nape of my neck. I couldn't feel more happy and lucky in this moment.

I turn to look over my shoulder. Sara drops her hands to my shoulders and smiles. Her eyebrows are slightly furrowed, wondering what's going on in my head. I look down to her lips and peck her quickly, asking, "I know tonight didn't go how you planned but I hope you still had fun. It was probably the best night of my life, thanks to you."

Sara leans in for an eskimo kiss, giving me butterflies. She pulls another bobby pin out and tucks the curl behind my ear. "I couldn't ask for anything more than this."


	19. The Morning After and The Lake

**A/N: **Thank you all for not wanting to kill me for the last chapter! It just wasn't the right time and I promise that when it does happen, it'll be well worth the wait! In the meantime, enjoy some cheeky and slightly airhead-y Tegan! :)

* * *

**Sara's POV**

I roll over and groan. My body is sore and the sun is too damn bright. I squint my eyes open, expecting to find Tegan sleeping next to me. She's not there but her pillow and blankets are along with the indent from her body. I lay my hand in the dip, right where her heart would have been and find that it's still warm. She couldn't have left too long ago.

There's a shuffling sound from the opposite side of my room and I roll back over. Tegan.

"There you are." I say sleepily.

Tegan turns around and smiles, adjusting the collar on the button up I wore last night. "Good morning," she chirps, turning back to the mirror to add the tassel to the ensemble.

I sit up and lean against the headboard, hugging Tegan's pillow to my chest, watching her put on my clothes. "Why are you doing that?"

Tegan smoothes out the pleats in the pants and makes her way toward me. She puts her hands on her hips and turns from side to side. "I wanted to see what I looked like in your tux. What do you think?"

"I think you look good in anything." I smile and curl my pointer finger inward, motioning for her to join me on the bed. She complies, crossing her legs and sitting in front of me. I lean in for a quick kiss. Morning kisses from Tegan are the best. "Good morning indeed," I mutter with a grin.

"So about last night..." Tegan says after we pull apart. She looks down to her thumbs, twiddling them in her lap. "I really am sorry. I really thought I was ready."

I hold my hand up to stop her and shake my head. "Tegan. It's fine, really. I hate to think you would have gone through with it just to make me happy. I'm glad we stopped and I had a great time watching a movie and cuddling instead. You're very good at that, you know." I reach forward and link our hands together.

"What? Cuddling?" She smiles shyly, peeking at me through her eyelashes.

"Mmhmm. I like falling asleep with your arm around me and your legs tangled with mine."

Tegan blushes and gets to her knees, pushing on my shoulders until I'm on my back. She lies on top of me and buries her face in the crook of my neck. "Why are you so good to me?"

"Because I think you're really cute." I grin, running my fingers through her mess of curls and lightly massage her scalp.

"What's so cute about _me_?" She asks, incredulous.

I chuckle and kiss the top of her head. "Oh, just about everything."

Tegan presses her face into my skin and smiles, flattered. She lifts herself up to her elbows and kisses my chin. "Do you know what I think is cute about you?"

Oh, I think I like this game. I hook a few of my fingers through her belt loops and press our hips together. "What do you think is cute about me?" I smile wide.

"The way your nose twitches when you sleep." She giggles, poking my nose and flattening it.

"It does not!" I protest with a laugh, swatting her hand away.

"It definitely does." Tegan drops down to kiss my, apparently twitchy, nose. She is too sweet. Sweeter than Grandma's famous strawberry french toast.

"Why are you watching me sleep anyway? Creeper." I tease, rolling her off of me so I can get up and slip a pair of pajama pants on. Tegan watches me as I pull the strings tight and tie them snugly to rest on my hips, and she begins removing her clothes to exchange them back for her pajamas. I offer my hand and she takes it with a sweet smile. "Let me make you breakfast."

Tegan follows me happily down the stairs and takes her place on a stool at the island while I roam around the kitchen, digging out everything for french toast. I pour Tegan a glass of orange juice before cracking an egg into a small mixing bowl.

"Do you want me to help?" Tegan asks, swiping her tongue across her top lip to remove the excess juice.

"Nope." I shake my head and whisk the egg and a bit of milk together. "You just sit back and let me practice."

"Practice?" Tegan cocks her head to the side cutely. "For what?"

"Our future." I smile to myself. I scoop some of Mum's homemade strawberry jam onto a piece of bread and cover it with another piece of bread before dipping each side into the egg. I set it carefully into the sizzling pan and feel Tegan's arms wrap around my middle. Her head rests on my shoulder and her chin digs into my collar bone with each word she speaks. "If you think I'm going to let you do all the work while I sit back and do nothing then our future isn't looking very good."

I flip the french toast over and set the spatula down before turning in Tegan's arms and looping my own over her shoulders. "You aren't doing nothing, you're admiring me cook for you then you'll tell me how amazing it was and to get my cute little ass in the bedroom afterwards."

Tegan laughs joyfully, making me swell with happiness. I'm glad we can bounce back to our cheeky selves even after last night. I know she probably wants me just as bad as I want her, but it's just a huge step for her and I have to understand that and help her deal with it like I would with anything else.

Tegan smiles shyly and looks down to my lips, asking, "For some cuddles, right?"

"For whatever you want." I peck her quickly on the nose and usher her back to her stool. She rests her chin in her palm, watching me just like she was told to do.

I stack the finished french toast on a plate and smother it with maple syrup then top it off with some more strawberries and powdered sugar. I grab a fork from the utensil drawer near the sink and set everything in front of Tegan with a tip of an imaginary hat atop my head. "Bon appetit."

She smiles her gummy smile and cuts a chunk off, sticking it into her mouth and chewing slowly. I bite my lip, waiting for a reaction. Her eyes flutter shut and she hums in delight, "Oh that's amazing."

She swallows and opens her eyes, looking at me with twinkling eyes. "Thank you Sara."

I smile back and lean in for a kiss, sneakily slipping my tongue between her lips to get a taste of my own. After a short heated moment, I pull back and lick my lips. "Mm, that is good. You're a lucky girl, Tegan." I laugh and grab the juice from the fridge, refilling her glass.

"Don't I know it." She says, mouth full of food.

I start cleaning up while she finishes then grab her dishes to place in the dishwasher for later. We walk side by side up the stairs and stop at her bedroom door. I lean against the wall and fold my arms over my chest. "So what do you want to do today?"

Tegan shrugs, her hand resting on the metal door knob. "I don't care but I have to do homework at some point this weekend."

I nod, thinking about all the final projects I have left to finish, or actually start, and grimace. "We can go down to the lake for a bit then I'll leave you to your books?"

"Sounds good." Tegan agrees, heading through her door to get ready for the day.

I go to my room to grab some fresh clothes and take a quick shower, scrubbing my scalp raw until all of the sticky hair products from last night are gone and slip into a pair of grey skinnies and my Florence tee. I throw my towel into the hamper and walk out the door, almost colliding with Tegan. My eyes rake up her body, clad in tight black skinnies and a blue top that slightly hangs off one of her shoulders. I swear she is trying to give me a heart attack with just her looks alone.

"Sorry." She says, running her fingers through her brushed locks that are still left wavy from last night.

"Sorry for being so hot? You should be." I eye her body up and down for the second time. I just can't get enough of it. Those hips.. I never wanted my hands to leave them.

She flashes me that perfect smile and sticks her hands in her pockets, forcing her pants lower on her hips, giving me an incredible view of her jutting hip bones. I groan, feeling a shock of pleasure right to my core and nudge her with my knee backwards until she bumps into the wall, with no where to escape.

With her trapped, I bring our faces an inch apart, staring at her lips as we breathe hot breath into each other's parted mouths. I glance back into her eyes and press my body harder into hers. I can feel her hands ball into tight fists from the palpable tension between our bodies and smirk. "If you're holding out on me just to be a tease then... well you just suck."

"I'm not." Tegan laughs. "And just because I'm not vocal about it, doesn't mean you're the only one struggling. Did you even look at yourself in the mirror?"

I groan and rest my forehead against Tegan's, closing my eyes. "If you want it just as bad, why are we waiting?"

"Because I'm not exactly fond of the image of my parents in my mind every time we get close to doing it. I just need a little more time until we can go _that _far."

"Can't we just hypnotize you or something?"

Tegan giggles and I peek at her, smiling. "I thought you said you were okay with waiting?"

"I am. Honestly. It's just annoying when literally everything you do is attractive and makes me want you. It gets painful being horny constantly."

"Yeah, but you do something about that, don't you?" Her cheeks flush red at the mention of masturbation, even though she was the one to bring it up. Her slight prudishness could be so amusing.

I chuckle and plant a kiss to her cheek. "Yeah, but it's not the same."

"Well.. try harder?" Tegan shrugs and shimmies out from between the wall and me and into the bathroom, quickly shutting the door behind her with a giggle. I pound my fist into the wall loud enough for her to hear and trudge back to my room with hunched shoulders. That woman is going to be the death of me.

** Tegan's POV**

Sara was getting her revenge and she was getting it good. The whole ride to the lake she was sitting in the middle next to me, touching me. For the most part it was innocent. Little random shapes being traced into the fabric of my jeans near my knee and gentle squeezes here and there. In the rear view mirror I could see her smug grin but whenever I turned to look at her directly, her hand was gone from my leg in an instant and she whipped her head towards the passenger side window, whistling obnoxiously. I just rolled my eyes and pulled into the boat landing parking lot.

I cut the engine and turn to Sara, laying my arm across the back of the seat behind her. "Remind me why I like you again?"

The most adorable smile I've ever witnessed forms on her face and she taps her finger on her nose. "The nose twitching, remember?"

I laugh and shake my head. Too cute for words. I unbuckle and move into her lap, looping my arms loosely around her shoulders. "Oh that's right, I only like you when you're sleeping."

"Shut up," Sara chuckles, punching me in the shoulder. Before I can say anything, she's pressing her lips to mine, hard. My fingers untangle themselves from each other and instead tangle themselves in Sara's neatly combed hair. She tastes minty and I pull her in closer, wondering why this has no affect on me but last night, it practically gave me a panic attack.

Eventually we need oxygen and part, panting and staring deep into each other's eyes. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" Sara wipes her sweaty cheeks off with the heels of her palms.

I laugh and look out the windshield, blinded by the sun beating in through the glass. "Well it's definitely you but the sun isn't helping either."

Sara giggles and places one more feather light kiss to my lips before tugging me out her door and down to the lake. I jog slightly behind her, my hand in hers, and we bypass the dock where we've always hung out before. I look over my shoulder, thinking about all the memories we have there.

It was where Sara told me she liked me, and I where I told her I might be gay and like her back. We shared our second kiss there and I smoked pot for the first time there too. Once we were officially together we would go there after school or on the weekends just to huddle up next to each other in the cold winter air and talk. At first it was Sara's spot, but now it was our spot. There was no doubt about that.

Sara skids to a halt near a small bridge surrounded by huge rocks where the lake narrows and flows downwards. She drops my hand and climbs out as far as she can and plops down on a rock big enough for the both of us. I follow her carefully, with my arms stuck out at my side to help me keep my balance. I hop onto her rock and lower myself next to her, our shoulders pressed tightly together in the cramped area. I lean forward and stick my fingers in the cool water, letting it run through the spaces between my fingers.

I look at Sara and smile. She hugs her knees to her chest and rests her cheek on her knee, smiling back. "This is where I usually come but it's too dangerous during the winter."

"It's beautiful." I look back to the clear water, crashing against every obstacle it meets.

"Yeah," Sara sighs. "I'm really going to miss once we're in Vancouver."

My eyes shoot open wide and my head pops up to look at Sara. Did she really just say what I think she said? "What?"

"I've been looking at studio apartments around the UBC campus online and there's a bunch of book stores and coffee shops nearby I can find a job at, so I'll be close to whatever dorm you're in and it won't be a far walk when you want to come over for a sleep over. Just think, I'll be able to walk around naked whenever I want. _You _can walk around naked whenever you want!" Sara raises her eyebrows and gives them a suggestive wiggle then her face falls and she sits up straight. "You do want me to come with you, right?"

In the few seconds it takes for me to answer, her expression goes from slightly worried to full blown panic. I grab her shoulders and give them a little shake, trying to reassure her. "Of course I want you to! I've been meaning to ask you but I was too nervous."

Sara's face goes back to normal, and she starts to breathe normally again. Who knew she could be just as neurotic as me? "Why would you be nervous? Did you think I would say no?"

I shrug, looking back out to the calm water. "I mean it's pretty far away, I didn't know if I was worth it."

Sara grabs my shirt sleeve and grabs my jaw, forcing me to look at her. "Not worth it? Tee, if you were going to China I would follow you. The only thing I want in life right now is to be with you, and if that happens to take me to Vancouver, so be it."

"I love you." I say simply, even though it blows my mind that despite everything, Sara just wants me and that's it.

"Right back at ya, babe." She smiles goofily and kisses me with every ounce of love she has for me.

I lean back on my palms and Sara straddles me, holding the back of my neck with one hand and gripping my hip under my shirt with the other. She slowly pulls away, then quickly goes back in for one more kiss before fully pulling away.

I gradually open my eyes, and find myself staring at a topless Sara. My eyes bug out at the sight of her glowing body in the bright Spring sun. She's absolutely flawless and I curse my brain again for it ruining last night. I reluctantly look away from her black cotton bra and to her face. She smirks and drops her shirt between us, letting it land in my lap, "What do you say we study here for a while?"

Confused, I look to my left, then my right, and back to Sara. "I don't have any of my homework...?"

Sara sighs and gives her head an amused little shake. "You know for how awfully smart you are, sometimes you're really clueless."

"Huh?" I ask, still not getting it.

Sara huffs and rolls her eyes then grabs each of my arms by the wrist. She looks me straight in the eye and pushes one of my open hands onto one of her breasts. "Ana-" she starts to say, nodding with wide eyes and an open mouthed grin. She puts my other hand on her other breast and then makes my hands squeeze her over her bra, still nodding, "tomy."

Anatomy..? Oh... _Oh!_

I peek up at her bashfully and we share a smile before I lean forward. After all I had never taken anatomy and I was more than eager to learn.


	20. Unexpected Kisses and Faces

**Tegan's POV**

"I can't believe you're graduating valedictorian, Tee." Sara squeezes my thigh over my freshly ironed gown. Her lips meet my cheek softly and I blush, trying to keep my focus on the road ahead of me, but it's hard when the air around us is thick with all the pride we both feel for all my hard work paying off and all I want to do is jump with excitement.

We pull up to a stop sign a few blocks from school and I look at Sara, smiling devilishly. "I can't believe you're graduating."

"Haha, you're so funny." Sara says, not amused, and pulls down a corner of my cap, momentarily blinding me and messing up my perfectly straightened hair.

"Hey!" I stick my tongue out at her and nudge my shoulder into hers. She smiles and rests her hand back on my thigh, tapping her fingers to the beat of the pop song playing quietly in the background. She looks at me smugly before I turn my focus back to the road. She adds more pressure to my leg and being her snarky self, she says, "If it weren't for my bad grades, you would have never met me. I was the light at the end of your tunnel so shush up."

Oh Jesus. She says the most ridiculous things sometimes, but that's why I love her. I pull into a spot in the school parking lot and hop out, meeting Sara on the other side and grabbing her hand. We join the crowd of all the other students walking through the parking lot to the gym entrance.

"Considering you've never been in my tunnel, I don't know if that's the correct use of words." I shoot back with a grin.

"Wow, harsh dude." Sara gives me a look, baffled. I give her a smirk. She wraps her arms around my waist, walking behind me but careful not to step on my gown. "You've been hanging around my family way too much. What happened to my sweet Tee?"

I glance over my shoulder and smile weakly, feeling my stomach do another flip at the thought of having to give a speech in front of around seven hundred people. "She's about ten seconds away from barfing everywhere because of nerves."

We reach the doors and Sara holds it open for me before pulling me away into a secluded hallway. I lean against the brick wall and take a deep breath. Sara runs her hands up and down my arms encouragingly.

"You have nothing to be nervous about. Your speech sounds great and you're going to be great but," She leans in close, glancing back and forth between my eyes and lips, "if you have time, meet me in the bathroom before you go on for a little pep talk."

Her eyebrows wiggle suggestively and I giggle. She always knows just what to say, or do, to make me feel better. We share a quick kiss and I feel a little less nervous. As long as I'll be able to see Sara in the crowd and block everyone else out while I'm giving my speech, I think I will be fine. Or at least I hope so. I'll definitely have to find time for that pep talk.

We kiss and hug one last time before Sara sneaks away for attendance and to make sure she knows where to get in line for the procession of the entire graduating class.

**Sara's POV**

After I check in and memorize who the two kids are I'll be standing between in line, I escape to the neglected bathroom where Tegan and I sometimes meet between classes. I lock myself in a stall and wait. A couple minutes pass, and then a few more. The ceremony starts in about fifteen minutes so it's now or never for Tegan to come. I wait a minute or two more, sigh, and slide the lock open. I guess Tegan's busy getting a real pep talk from the principal or something.

I run into Stacy as I walk out the door and draw a deep breath. I didn't even hear her come in.

"Hi Sare." She smiles, standing deliberately in place to block me from leaving. The points of her heels peek out from her gown, adding another three inches of height between the couple that were already between us.

"Hey." I say back, focusing on a spot on the wall over her shoulder, avoiding her gaze. I still consider Stacy my best friend, but we haven't hung out alone since Tegan and I got together, and after she found out Tegan moved in with me, it's been almost unbearable to have any type of interaction. I just wish she would find a boyfriend, or girlfriend, so she could get over me or at least come to understand I don't return the feelings she has for me.

"You must be pretty happy for Tegan right now, huh?" Her lips curl into a slight grimace and she leans her shoulder against the wall, hooking her ankles together.

I bite my tongue, swallowing the bitter remark wanting to come out, and smile sweetly. "Of course, she definitely earned it so I should probably get back, I don't want to miss her speech. Excuse me." I try to step around her but she pushes on my chest with her palm until we're both back in the stall I was just locked in. She moves the lock in place and leans against the door.

"So you guys probably celebrated then?" One of her eyebrows raises when she says 'celebrated' and I can't help but to roll my eyes, already beyond annoyed. Stacy was relentless, and not in a charming manner.

"Stacy, just don't." I grit my teeth and try to push past her. There's no way I'm going to let her manipulate me into telling her what she wants to hear and sour my good mood.

"I'm just saying, Sara. Don't you think it's a little weird she still hasn't put out?"

"Put out?!" I scoff, setting my jaw. I hated that term. It was pretty obvious I wasn't just looking for sex out of Tegan. "You don't know the first thing about my relationship with Tegan, so drop it." I warn her with a glare, but she only smirks and backs me into the wall, leaving me no where to escape unless I could manage to flush myself down the toilet. I'm small, but I'm not _that _small.

"I know that it's weird how you've been together for what, five months now and you've still barely been to third base. It's all just a ruse, Sara. Tegan's not gay, she's just using you."

I struggle to hold back from laughing right in her face. Tegan didn't have to sleep with me in order for me to know if she was gay or not. Everything I need to know about Tegan to reassure myself that she truly loved me was right in her eyes. All it took was that one look for me to know.

Stacy picks up on my resistance and pushes further, ready to completely break me if that's how far she needs to go. "I can give you what you want, when you want it. Don't you remember that time at Ted's? We got _so _close. You wanted me then, and you can want me again." Her sweet perfume winds it's way into my nostrils as she leans in, leaving only an inch or two between us. I turn to the side and shudder. Stacy has always had a pleasant scent. It could never compare to what Tegan's scent does to me but I am only human. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't like it.

I take as much oxygen as I can through my mouth and turn back to her, the tips of our noses so close to brushing. "We were just fooling around, Stacy. Yeah, it was a lot of fun but–"

I don't get the chance to finish putting Stacy in her place. Suddenly cut off, her lips crash against mine, sending the back of my head into the wall and taking all of the breath I just drew in.

**Tegan's POV**

I've never been hit by a freight train moving at one hundred miles per hour but I imagine it's equivalent to seeing the girl you love kiss the girl you despise. The sheer emotional force alone is enough to make me fall back against the wall for support, and I grip my knees, feeling like I'm going to be sick to my stomach. For being awarded valedictorian, one would think I could wrap my brain around this, but it's utterly impossible. Of all people, why did it have to be Stacy?

Slowly losing control of my entire being, I just barely manage to hold back the sob creeping up my throat long enough to send the toe of my boot into the side of the garbage can, sending it to the floor and dumping its contents with a racket.

"Shit." Sara gasps loudly before I'm out the door, slowly coming apart before I have to give my speech. I try to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest and shriveling up before disintegrating into a pile of dust but it's hard. It's so hard. The pain is unbearable, worse than when my parents abandoned me. I trusted Sara, and I love her. It didn't make sense how she could do this when I know she loves me too.

My palpitating heart is one beat from sending me into a full fledged panic attack and my body slides down one of the lockers until I'm hugging my knees to my chest, losing all control. I wipe my tears off on my sleeve, staining it, and try to pull myself back together. Clearly I'm not doing a very good job. I can't go on stage in this state.

"Tegan! Tee!" Sara's voice and footsteps echo down the hall, stomping more and more of my resolve out the closer she gets. Her shoes squeak against the tiled floor, skidding to a halt and dropping to her knees, she reaches out for my shaking hands. "Baby, it's not what you think."

"Don't touch me." My voice cracks and I push her away. The overuse of pet names only churns my stomach contents more and I curl into myself. I can't be dealing with this right now. I can't deal with it ever. Sara and I were never supposed to break up.

I can tell Sara's crying too even though I'm not looking at her. The pain is thick around us and I hate myself for wanting her to wrap her arms around me to comfort me.

"Please, Tegan. You have to understand, _she _kissed _me_." Sara's hands find their ways to my knees, filling me with too many mixed emotions. I know that's probably the truth but that doesn't change the fact that she kissed back.

I push Sara away again and get to my feet, standing with my forehead pressed against the cool metal of one of the lockers, hoping it can provide some temporary relief. I tighten my fists and choke out, "Just go away."

** Sara's POV**

What am I to do but listen to her? I am the last person on earth she wants to see right now. I don't even want to be around me right now. I can't believe I did that. I can't believe I actually kissed Stacy back, even if it was only for a second.

I know it's not the smartest choice to make right now but I can't dig myself any deeper than I already am. I brush Tegan's hair from off the nape of her neck and kiss the clammy skin softly then whisper in her ear, "I love you, Tegan. Please don't forget that."

A few seconds pass of just my breath on her neck, waiting for her to react but she doesn't even shudder. Sighing, I let her hair fall neatly back in place and walk away without looking back.

I sneak back in line just before we walk into the gym in a single file line and to our seats. My leg won't stop bouncing out of nerves and the kid next to me gives me an irritated glare, but that's the least of my worries. I don't even know if Tegan will walk out on stage.

After the principal makes his announcement, he welcomes Tegan to take the mic. She walks up to the podium with her head held high and a dazzling smile planted on her face. For a second, I don't believe it's actually her but her bloodshot eyes give her away. I say a short prayer, hoping Tegan will get through this one speech with out breaking down.

She clears her throat and adjusts the microphone. "My fellow classmates, friends, and family," she says, taking a moment to pause and scan the entire crowd. I can tell she's just buying time to keep herself in check but no one else seems to notice.

Her face falls when she turns towards the right side of the bleachers. My stomach drops and I follow her gaze, spotting the problem immediately. Her parents are here, standing off to the side, near the exit doors, focusing intensely on Tegan, expressions unreadable, their arms crossed. My head whips back towards Tegan just in time to see her jaw clench shut, and she starts blinking twice as much, trying to keep the tears away.

I swear I can hear the shatter of my own heart. I grip the sides of my seat, completely helpless.

** Tegan's POV**

Oh my God. The train backs up and hits me again, twice as hard. My brain is screaming complete bloody murder and my nostrils flare, struggling to take in the oxygen I need. I'm genuinely afraid that if I open my mouth, I'll be sick everywhere.

Instinctively I look back to Sara for support, momentarily forgetting what she's done. She's looking right at me, and her chest is rising and falling rapidly. Her lips are parted and she's sitting on the edge of her seat, ready to leap from her chair to come to my rescue but she can't save me anymore. I swallow painfully and look to those who are hurting me most, back and forth, over and over until slowly everything feels like it's getting further away and then I'm falling, everything going black.


	21. The Nurse's Office and The Dock

**A/N: **53 followers?! You guys are insane! And by that I obviously mean thank you so much! I never thought my poo writing would draw so many people in, but I really appreciate it! All of you guys are great and every time I post a new chapter, I do nothing but sit and wait to see what you guys have to say! I'll try harder to actually converse with you guys and be more personable. Which reminds me, I'm not sure if everyone knows, but my tumblr is **mistersara-ladyjean** so if you ever want to hit me up there, feel free to do so!

Thank you all again, and enjoy! :)

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**Sara's POV**

The second Tegan goes down, I'm trampling my way through the other students like an elephant. Yes, that means pushing their bodies and chairs out of my way, and not taking the time to exit the row like a sane person. I leap onto the stage in one long stride and collapse at Tegan's side, taking her face in my hands and repeating her name over and over again. My palms stick to her warm, sweaty face but her chest is slowly rising and falling. The principal kneels next to me and checks her pulse. I have to fight the urge to yell at him to get his hands off of her but now isn't the time for me to lash out. He just wants to help and Tegan needs help from someone that isn't me.

I look up and to the crowd. It's dead silent. The majority of the students are crowding around the stage, trying to get a look but almost everyone in the bleachers stands still, except four people. My parents and Tegan's parents are both pushing their way past people but only two of them carry actual looks of concern.

The next ten minutes are a blur. All I can recall is Dad scooping Tegan up into his arms and following the principal to the nurses office, where he gently lays her down on the springy cot. I sit down next to her, holding her hand and wiping her damp bangs from her face, waiting for her to come to.

The room is mostly silent while we wait in agonizing patience. Tegan's parents are standing in the corner, looking more pissed that I'm the one at Tegan's side rather than being distraught. I'm sure Mum and Dad have figured out who they are and when Mum glances over to them with a tentative smile, they look at her with disdain, like she's to blame for this. But no one actually asks what happened, or why Tegan fainted, most likely assuming it was just from nerves over having to give her speech. I tell myself that's the reason too. I can't stand the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that my actions were equal to Tegan's parents in her eyes, which made her lose all control of herself.

The strained mood pulls at us strenuously with each second, making the constrictor knot tying itself with my intestines take my breaths away even more. There's a collective sigh of relief when Tegan regains consciousness, slowly opening her eyelids to reveal her chocolate colored, glassy eyes. We're all glad to direct our attention solely on her, letting us momentarily ignore the elephant, or _elephants _really, in the room.

**Tegan's POV**

Everything is a blur. I can only make out a bold red color, and it hurts my eyes, creating a steady drumming in my temples. The presence of people is heavy around me, and I can feel the restlessness from them clawing at my skin, exposing my pores, dripping with sweat. I try to swallow, instantly regretting it from how dry my throat is. Its painful scratchiness makes me cough and before I can fully realize what is about to happen and take control over it, the contents in my stomach are rushing up my throat and out of my mouth, all over the redness before me.

"Fuck!" Sara's familiar voice creeps its way into my ear drums, only increasing the beating in my head and everything that happened once we got to school hits me again. I rub my eyes and wipe spit off from the corner of my lips, then blink, letting my eyes focus on her face. She stares down at her gown covered in my breakfast in disgust and then she peeks up at me nervously, afraid I'll do it again.

The second our eyes meet, I start crying again and roll to my side towards the wall, burying my face into the lumpy pillow resting under my head. Hot salty tears soak the material in seconds, making it stick to my skin, and it just makes me even more uncomfortable. I just want the day to be over and for everything with Sara to go back to the way it was this morning, but it's not right to pretend like nothing happened even when I know I'll forgive her in the end. Sara kissed someone that wasn't me and there has to be consequences. It's as simple as that.

"Tee," Sara whispers in my ear. Her breath on my skin makes me shiver and I bury my face deeper into the pillow, hoping it will completely engulf me. Her bottom lip grazes my lobe and I whimper, tightening the muscles in my shoulders.

"I know you completely hate me right now and I don't blame you, but your parents are here and I think you're going to need me to get through this so just let me be here for you."

More bile rises into my throat. I completely forgot about my parents. It didn't even make sense that they were here and there is no part of me that wants to see, or talk, to them, and Sara's right. There is no way I can get through this without her.

I take my time sitting up, making sure to stay facing the wall. I don't want to see anyone and I don't want anyone to see me. I reach out for Sara's hand, letting her know that I'm temporarily forgiving and trusting her to handle this for me. She grabs on tight and squeezes.

** Sara's POV**

What happened next took me by so much surprise, I couldn't even fully register it until I was in Tegan's mum's face, ready to erupt like a volcano with an awful vengeance. She offered Tegan a can of soda to settle her stomach and when I politely declined for Tegan, who was slowly reverting back to facing the wall after inching towards me while the moments of silence passed, she felt the need to take the already strained tension and pull on it a little more.

Gentle is not the word I would use to describe how she reached out and took Tegan's wrist, forcing the can into her hand. To an outside observer, it would have looked like nothing except a stern parents dealing with an uncooperative child, but it woke up the monster in me that's been slumbering since that night in Tegan's basement, except now I have nothing holding me back from completely losing my shit.

After I make sure Tegan's fine, albeit a little stunned, I rush to my feet, wedging myself between Tegan and her mum, jabbing my finger into her chest, snarling like a rabid animal. "Don't you ever fucking touch her again."

Unlike that day in the basement, her face drops in fear and it only boosts my confidence. It's four against one, since Tegan's dad doesn't have the balls to do anything but stand in the corner, holding his wife's purse, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Sara, you need to calm down." Mum pulls on the back of my vest, pulling me towards her. Her words are gentle, and I know she means well, but now is not the time to get in my line of fire.

"No, Mum." I say through clenched teeth over my shoulder, wrenching out of her grasp and getting back in Tegan's mum's face. I feel like flames are about to spew from my nostrils at any time. Like in any classic fairy tale, the dragon gets pissed when someone tries to hurt its captive princess. "If they think they can just waltz in here like they didn't do what they did to Tegan, they have another thing coming."

I shoot a sharp glare in Tegan's dad's direction then take a step forward, forcing her mum to step back, moving us closer towards the door. I expect her to say some kind of bitchy remark, but she just stares me down, pissing me off even more until I can't take it anymore and explode. Every expletive under the sun flies out of my mouth between putting her in her place and telling her how much of a shit human being I think she is. It isn't pretty, but it's necessary.

I'm shaking so much by the time I finish, it feels like a river of hot lava is flowing through every inch of me, but I know that if I let myself go any further, the entire school will melt and crumble to a million, dusty pieces. I take a step back, leaving Tegan's mum as still as a marble statue, frozen in shock, and turn around to check on Tegan, now rid of her gown and crying again, curled up in Mum's arms. Even Dad has a gentle hand on her shoulder, squeezing the muscle every so often. It's all the proof any of us need that Tegan's better off without her parents.

"You should probably leave." I say, not bothering to turn back around. A few seconds pass and there's no sound of anyone moving around, or opening the door. Only when I face them again and they see the look on my face do they square their shoulders and walk out the door without so much as a second glance towards Tegan. Assholes.

**Tegan's POV**

What Sara just did, standing up for me like that, reminds me of why I love her and why I'll be able to forgive her for kissing Stacy. I tenderly pull myself from Sonia's arms and join Sara in the middle of the room. She holds her arm across her stomach, holding her elbow tightly, unsure of what to do and how to gauge what my reaction will be. Her eyelashes are wet as she peers up at me through them, and her smile is feeble. I take her by surprise when I lean in and kiss her simply on the lips.

Sara's eyebrows furrow in deep conversation and she looks to the ground, touching her lips as though burned by the touch of mine. I touch her shoulder gently, rubbing my thumb across the stiff button up clinging to her frame and then I pull her into a full fledged hug, trapping her arms at her side, and squeezing the breath out of her.

"We still need to talk, but thank you for what you just did." I whisper lowly in her ear.

And then I'm being squished against Sara even more. Bruce and Sonia are both wrapping their arms around us into the biggest bear hug I've ever experienced. Sara and I both receive a kiss to the tops of our heads and we all share a smile. Deep down, I know that this is where I belong. This is my family.

After declining some tempting offers of ordering pizza and ice cream to try to salvage what's left of what was supposed to be a happy occasion, Sara and I walk back out to my truck and her parents leave in their own car to head home. As we're pulling out of the parking lot, I notice a group of people still hanging out by their cars, smoking cigarettes. Getting closer, I notice one of them is Stacy. Just my luck.

There's a muffled groan from Sara when she spots her and I slowly feel everything with my parents slip away and the hurt from Sara, and hatred towards Stacy, creep its way back in. I abruptly put the car in park and hop out, rolling the sleeve of my button up to my elbow, not wanting to dirty Sara's borrowed clothes. Before Stacy even has a chance to blink, I clock her square in the nose, earning a painful crack, shake the pain out of my hand, and get back in my truck without a word. I think it's safe to say she'll know not to mess with me or Sara from now on.

Sara bites her knuckles, almost to the point of breaking the skin, to keep herself from grinning and laughing but it's not helping much. I smile too. That felt good, really good, but the moment passes quickly and it's quiet until we're at the lake, sitting side by side on the dock, watching the sun slowly set.

"Why did you do it?" I finally break the silence, tossing the twig I had been distracting myself with into the water.

Sara stops picking at a piece of slivering wood and lets out a long breath. She stares out at the horizon, thinking over her answer carefully.

"I don't know," she shrugs, turning her head to look at me. "Instinct, I guess."

"_That's_ your answer?" My jaw feels like it's falling into my lap, through the wood underneath, and sinking to the bottom of the lake. She kissed _Stacy _because of _instinct_? I turn away from her and curl into myself, holding the toe of my shoes with my hands tightly. Perhaps I was mistaken and I don't belong here with Sara if that's all it takes for her to kiss someone else.

I look to Sara, waiting for a reply. Her bottom lip starts to tremble and she quickly turns away, ashamed.

** Sara's POV**

I don't know what Tegan expects me to say. It was a mistake. I fucked up, and I'm so fucking sorry. End of story.

I don't look at her when I reply, I don't want to her see me cry now. "I don't know what to tell you, Tee. I was just there, in the bathroom and all of sudden she was in my face, kissing me and I got caught in the moment and kissed back, I admit that. It didn't mean anything, it was a mistake, and I didn't enjoy it. I am not interested in Stacy in that way and the only person I want to be with is you. I love _you_."

My voice is shaking so much, it's barely comprehensible. I look Tegan in the eye, feeling much too vulnerable for my liking, but I need to show her that I'm on my knees begging. "Please don't leave me."

Tegan sort of chuckles and I look away again, feeling as though she just slapped me. She was mocking me?

"I'm not going anywhere Sara but," Tegan sighs, and then she gets quieter, almost is if she's embarrassed about she's going to say next, "I don't think I want you to hang out with Stacy anymore though. I don't trust her and if you're alone with her I don't know that I trust you if she were try to pull something."

"Fine, okay. Whatever you want." I give in, barely letting her finish her sentence.

"Okay." Tegan says plainly. I expect her to say more, but she doesn't and the silence kills me. I turn to her, finding her leaning back on her palms, eyes closed and face pointed towards the sky, relaxed.

"That's it? You're not going to yell? I'm off the hook, just like that?" I stare at her in awe. If our roles had been switched, I would be going off my rocker right now.

"Yeah, sure. Stacy was right anyway." Her eyes flutter open and she shrugs her shoulders, then shifts onto her knees and swings a leg over my lap, straddling me. She goes straight for her bow tie and the buttons of her top, both of which I let her borrow because she didn't want to wear a dress. It takes her only seconds to have her top undone, hanging off her shoulders, and letting the nude color bra she has on peak through, tempting me with each bit more that's revealed as she moves, to touch her and take her. I skim the bits of creamy skin visible and trail my gaze up to her eyes. What I find in them is something I've never seen before, and I'm not quite sure that I like it. It's not like Tegan at all. The sparkle in them is gone, replaced by something darkly mischievous and I'm afraid of what will happen next.

"You want sex, Sara. You want it bad." Tegan's words slither across my skin like a snake, giving my goosebumps. She moves forward, rather sensually, and pulls me into a deep kiss, not even bothering to ask for entrance before sliding her tongue into my mouth. She doesn't even seem to notice that I'm not giving nearly as much back, growing weary by her forwardness. Her hands untuck my tie from inside my snug vest, then they start to loosen the knot, eager to undress me. Without fully removing her lips from mine, she draws me forward with the sound of her husky voice, but her actual words do anything but. "Fuck me, Sara. Prove Stacy wrong."

The words slam into my chest and I quickly retreat, hating the way she tastes with Stacy's name on her lips. I stare at her in complete astonishment. In what world did she think it was okay to use that as a reason for us to sleep together?

"Are you drunk?!" I practically shout, feeling more out of breath from anger than the heated lip lock we just shared. I push her off of me, gently enough, and draw my knees into my chest, letting my head hang between them. I don't think I've ever felt this violated and hurt. I'm sick of everyone thinking that I'm some kind of sex fiend, and that, that is all I want from relationships. I never thought I was that bad at showing my affection but despite that, Tegan should know better. Nothing turned me off more than the thought of her throwing herself at me just to get it over with and show someone she isn't what they think she is.

"What?" She hisses, obviously confused with the way her head is cocked to the side, and bewildered that after months of trying, I'm all of a sudden no longer interested.

"I'm not having sex with you Tegan." I say, spelling it out for her. I hug myself tighter and direct my focus on the bridge, far off in the distance, and wish I was there right now, alone. Or even here, in this spot alone. I could strip down to nothing and wash the shitty events of today off. It wouldn't be the first time, or even the second or fifth. Sometimes I just need that all encompassing cleanse of my body and mind, that a simple shower can't fulfill.

Tegan yanks me out of my thoughts, yelling with a smack to her thighs with her palms, resonating a painful sound. "But that's what you want! Let me give you what you want!"

"That's not what I want, and you know it!" I stare up at her, my eyes welling with tears, and now I don't care if she sees me crying. I thought Tegan had more sense than this, to take her anger out on me by hurting me back. More tears slip down my cheeks and the air falls silent, save for a few crickets and frogs hiding in the tall grass. It feels like an eternity of us just staring at each other, waiting for something, but I have nothing left to say and in the end, she decides that she doesn't either.

When she rises to her feet with a childish stomp, I make no attempt to stop her and when she towers over me like a dark cloud ready to strike me down with a flash of paralyzing lightning, I don't look up at her. With the sound of her open shirt blowing slightly in the wind, I switch to rest my head on the other cheek to watch Tegan go. She doesn't look back and before I can stop the first sob from filling the silence around me, she's revving her engine and leaving me.


	22. Making Up and Getting Ready

**A/N: **I love all of you so much, you're so crazy with your femotions, haha! I didn't expect so many of you to take sides, or for it to be so divided. I think it was an equal amount of people agreeing with Sara as there was with Tegan. Personally I felt both of them were justified in their actions but either way, I hope this makes up for it and you all love them both the same again. Basically I just want to say thank you to all of you leaving me reviews or messages on Tumblr, I LOVE reading them so much. Enjoy the fluffiness and review! :)

P.S. To the guest who said what Tegan did was completely out of character and that you weren't even sure you were reading the right story... I'm not quite sure what to say. Maybe I didn't write it well enough, but that was kind of the whole point of Tegan's reaction, to be something she isn't, and hopefully this chapter clears that up a bit more! :)

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**Tegan's POV**

By the time eleven o'clock rolls around, it's safe to say that I'm worried, teetering over the edge of freaking out. Sara hasn't responded to any of my texts or phone calls, and I find it hard to believe that Sara is so mad at me that she would completely ignore me like this. It's just not like her.

I set my book on the nightstand restlessly and gather my things, thinking up some kind of lie to tell Sonia or Bruce if I can't manage to sneak past either of them. Luckily, I don't see them at all and head out the front door with ease, hopping into my truck to check either of the two places I know Sara will be; still at the dock or at the cemetery, sitting by her grandmother's grave, confiding in her.

When I find her, she's not at the lake, but rather _in_ it. I find all of her clothes folded neatly in a pile with her phone on top, beeping every so often to alert her of new messages, pushed off to the side of the dock. I wait a moment to see if she'll notice my arrival, and when she doesn't, I take a seat next to her clothes, studying her in what she thinks is a private moment.

She's completely glowing, and not just because of the moon, sitting low in the sky, illuminating her pale skin in a way that threatens to leave me utterly breathless. I envy the way her loosened muscles move under her skin as she reaches up to push her hair out of her face and the way it falls against the base of her neck, clinging to her desperately, making me long to be one of those hairs, a small fixture stemmed from her being, even if only temporary.

I don't know how long I sit here, losing myself in the sight of her until I feel as relaxed as she looks, but at some point, she realizes I'm here with her and makes a splash, frightened by my sudden appearance. When the water settles, it's hard to decipher her expression, she's not exactly close to the shore, but I get to my feet, link my fingers together over the bottom of my diaphragm and bellow out my admission, "I'm sorry!"

"What?" Sara calls back. I don't know if she actually didn't hear me or if she just wants me to say it again for satisfaction since she makes no effort to swim closer. I sigh and take a deep breath, stepping up to the very edge of the dock and yell out louder. "I said I'm sorry!"

"I can't hear you! You have to come here!"

After she says that, I know she's messing with me by the playful undertone to her voice and I think I can make out a hint of a smile through squinted eyes. With no desire to rid myself of my clothes and get into water where God knows what will brush against my legs and nibble on my toes, I put my hands on my hips and shake my head, begging, "Please just come home!"

With a few strokes of her arms, Sara swims a few yards closer and shakes her head with a small smile, then she draws her hand out of the water and curls a finger inward, summoning me.

I cross my arms and don't move a muscle. After today's events, the last thing I want is to be completely exposed to Sara, but I don't put up a hard fight, and in the end, she wins. I desperately want to ask her to turn around until I'm hidden by the water but that seems silly to ask of her, yet after how poorly the both of us acted throughout the day, being naked in a public place seems like the least sensible thing to do, but I need to talk to her.

Giving myself the most comfort I can, I face away from Sara and unzip her hoodie that I snatched from her room to cuddle myself in while we were apart and drop it on top of her clothes pile. Next are my socks and shoes, kicked off to the side, and then lastly, my shirt.

** Sara's POV**

I don't believe there's a single thing on this earth Tegan could do that would make me think she's anything but breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin is practically translucent, moving delicately over her bones and toned muscles. My legs propel me forward a few more yards, wanting to get a better view, like a collector studying a painting to decide if its good enough for my collection. The problem with Tegan is, the collector isn't good enough for her.

Before her jeans come off, Tegan peers over her shoulder, looking at me nervously with widened eyes once she sees that I've swam closer. Out of respect, I turn myself around, making us back to back. I understand her reluctance about this being the first time I see her nude, and vise versa. Honestly, the whole situation is weird; a perfect set up to great make up sex after a long day of both of us fucking up, but I don't think that's how the night will progress. It seems more fitting for us to wind up in each other's arms, crying and blubbering insensible apologies until we shrivel into prunes from spending all night in the water.

However, I'm not going to put any expectations on tonight like I had earlier. I just want us both to be understanding and to forgive each other so we can move on and forget today ever happened.

** Tegan's POV**

It's things like Sara turning around without me asking that make it hard to not be completely head over heels in love with her. I quickly strip myself of my jeans and underwear, run off the dock with my hands covering as many of my parts as possible to enter at the shore instead of jumping in and bobbing back up in a cube of frozen lake water. Surely I look crazy, but then again, Sara makes me do crazy things.

It takes forever for me to get to where Sara is, moving at a snail's pace until my body stops shivering, and when I do, I jitter out "I'm sorry" through chattering teeth before Sara even has a chance to turn around.

She nods curtly, but she doesn't look angry, instead rather calm and at peace with herself as well as me. As my body slowly gets used to the temperature of the water, I start to understand why she chose to stay here. It's hard to be filled with any negativity when nature is engulfing us and settling its serenity throughout us.

"Why did you do that earlier? That's not like you, at all." Sara mumbles softly, looking down to her chest where her fingers distract themselves with the small cross and guitar pick dangling from her neck.

I bite my lip, chewing the skin nervously to bits, trying to think of an answer that makes sense, but none of them really do. The way Sara is now peering up at me with those big hazel eyes I adore so much and the nervous tick in her fingers isn't helping either so I wrench them away form her face, intertwining our fingers together, hoping to calm some of the nerves I feel radiating off of her. A moment passes but I don't really feel any better. Sara, of course, senses this and tries to swallow her feelings long enough to let me get through this, gently tightening her fingers around mine. I appreciate the gesture but I still feel myself choking on my words as they spill out.

"Honestly, I-I don't really know. I was just feeling so much at once and I'm terrified that you're going to leave me if we don't take our relationship all the way– soon, and then it just looked so easy for you when Stacy kissed you. I just wanted you to have me in every way you want to ensure that you won't leave me."

I drop Sara's hands and fold my arms over my chest, preparing myself for the emotional blow that is sure to come. I expect Sara to get hurt, telling me that I shouldn't have those fears because I know better than that, I know her better than that, but I'm not confident that I really do and the thoughts force my eyes to snap shut when Sara parts her lips to respond.

"That's... " She starts, then pauses with a crease of her brow that I can make out through slitted eyes. I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head, trying to find her own answer. I'm driven to complete insanity due to my lack of patience, then, finally, she kind of nods her head, like the lightbulb just lit up. "That's actually really understandable. I'm sorry I got so mad, it's just..."

"It's just what?" I ask desperately when she makes no move to finish her sentence.

"It's just that.. for as much as I bitch and moan about us not having sex, a part of me is glad that we aren't. It's kind of one of my favorite things about you; how you're not like other girls, willing to sleep with anything that walks. I think it's so cute how shy and nervous you are about it and I can tell that you care about yourself because you want to wait until you're ready whether that's ten seconds from now or even ten months from now! I know I can get a little out of control sometimes with my hormones but that's just because I love you Tegan but believe me, I don't want you throwing yourself at me like that unless it's because your desires and heart are truly driving you to do so."

My lips pull into a smile on their own accord and I mentally cross myself and thank God for giving me Sara. She may have a temper, but her sweetness and rationality more than make up for it.

"So you're really not mad then?" I ask, just to double check.

Sara shakes her head, tentatively reaching out for my hands, needing the contact just as much as I do. "If anything, I'm disappointed, but only in myself. This whole day was a disaster because of me, but on the bright side you broke Stacy's nose." She sort of chuckles, still unsure of the situation, and brings our hands beneath the surface, tugging with slight force to bring me closer but still giving me the option to hold back, but I have no desire to. "No way!" I giggle, feeling more proud than ashamed, and allow myself to get closer to Sara. Stacy deserved it, I can only hope she learned her lesson, and that ultimately, it just strengthens Sara and I's relationship.

"Yup. Ted texted me earlier, and apparently she's pissed." Sara smiles, back to her confident, goofy self. "Are we okay then? Like, for real this time?"

I hum, pretending to think it over for a minute, earning a playful punch in the gut and a cute pouty expression from my girlfriend. I just can't stay mad at that face. I don't _want _to stay mad at that face so I give in without giving it a second thought, knowing that from the bottom of her heart, Sara sincerely regrets and is sorry for what she did. I blindly reach out with my hand, grazing her side with my fingertips and nod. "For real this time, just ya know, don't kiss other people."

** Sara's POV**

Tegan's touch sends a warm jolt through my body, out my toes and before I can stop it from happening, I blurt out, "Tegan, can I kiss you?"

She smiles, showing a hint of her gums and I vaguely wonder if she's experiencing the same deja vu I am.

"Do you remember that night?" I ask, bringing our connected hands out of the water and kiss each of her smooth knuckles.

She nods, looking off into the distance. "I was so scared."

"And now?" I place my other hand on top of hers, resting on my hip, and bring it around to the small of my back, making us almost chest to chest now.

"Maybe a little." She blushes, then returns her gaze back to me. "I'm still afraid you'll break me beyond repair. I'm willing to give all of myself to you, and I'm afraid it won't be enough, that one day you'll realize I'm not what you thought I was and you'll wander off to bigger and better things."

I feel my heart break for her. That's all she knows of the people who have loved her. She wasn't what her parents thought she was, and look where that got her. Then today, she caught a glimpse of it when I kissed Stacy, and it completely freaked her out. Tegan hadn't been foolish or ill-suited in her actions earlier. She was just reacting accordingly.

"The only place I'll ever want to wander is into your arms, Tee. I promise I won't ever break you, and I'll be spending the rest of my days trying to fill in the crack I put into you today." I say, following a drop of water rolling down her arm with kisses. A lone tear rolls down her cheek and I kiss that away too.

"Will you kiss me now?" Tegan whispers into my ear, making her voice crack with vulnerability.

I pull away and cup her face, wiping away the smeared eyeliner from earlier away from her eyes. It's evident she's had a rough day, but she's still gorgeous and I'm sure I don't look any better. I stare at her lips, letting the tension build until neither of us can bare being apart for a second longer and we both rush forward, experiencing a kiss more powerful than all of our past kisses combined. I can taste the desperation and vulnerability in her lips, but also the love, and it's the greatest taste I've ever had the pleasure of tasting.

I pull away, fluttering my eyes open long enough to catch Tegan with her eyes still clamped shut, chasing me for one more quick kiss.

"Fuck, you're so cute." I say breathlessly.

Her laughter fills the night air and then she's pulling me into a hug, bringing our bodies together in a way they've never been when her legs hitch up around my waist and her ankles hook together, pressing into my lower back. I expect to feel the familiar kick to my core, but I just feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. Tegan being in love with me and wanting to hold me is more than enough to get me by. I snuggle into her shoulder and place a delicate kiss to her shoulder. Tegan hums, content, and returns the favor, mumbling into my skin, "I love you so much."

** Tegan's POV**

"I love you more." Sara responds, snaking her arms around my waist to help keep me afloat, along with random kicks of her legs that brush the back of my thighs each time. It's not even bothering me: the position we're in. It feels natural. It feels _right_. I never want Sara to let me go.

"I don't ever want to let go of you." She sighs.

An intense shiver explodes throughout my whole body, and I squeeze Sara tighter. It's eery how in tune we can be sometimes, but it's just a reassurance that we're meant to be. I turn my head, and nuzzle into her neck, inhaling her scent, mixed in with a light coating of nature. "Please don't."

I start kissing her neck, just small pecks here and there to give myself a small taste of her until it's gone and I need another. After a moment, Sara starts mimicking my action, kissing me in the same spots I kiss her. It's nice, but with each kiss I'm left wanting more and more of her.

"Tegan," Sara utters, trailing her kisses along my collar bone, her hand tugs gently on my hair.

"Hm?"

"Let me kiss you." She says, almost pleadingly.

I lift my head, and offer myself to her. Sara runs the tip of her tongue along my top lip and I gasp. She's so good at making each new kiss feel like our first, and even though we're long past that moment, I find myself needing to taste her, longer and more passionately.

My tongue rolls with hers, knowing and compromising with every move the other makes. She gives more, and I hold back until she retreats a little, letting me take what I feel I need. It's simply amazing, I wonder if this is how other people feel when they kiss the person they're in love with but considering they're not kissing Sara, I doubt it is the same.

Lost in the moment, Sara manages to tread us back near the dock, where if we stand on the tips of our toes, our chins just peek above the water. I unhook my legs from her back and kick myself afloat, letting my hands drift lower and my nails dig in her skin under her ribs.

I feel something brush against my leg and my heart starts racing. I shriek and pull away from Sara. She grasps onto the ledge of the dock and pops her eyes open, worried. "What? What's wrong?"

"Something touched me! I'm getting out." I let go of Sara and try to swim under her arm, but she pulls me back into her, kissing the top of my head.

"You're not going anywhere." She says sternly, pushing her stomach into mine. "It was probably just seaweed, anyway."

I nod, calming down a bit and sling my arm around Sara's neck. She leans in, eager to resume our heated lip lock. And once her tongue meets mine again, I all but forget about it– until it happens again. "That was not seaweed!" I whine.

Sara sighs, then smiles, gesturing her hand out to the dock. "Just sit up there if you're going to be a such a baby."

I turn around and hang onto the ledge. If I go up there, Sara will still be able stay in the water if I help hold her up a bit but that also means I'll actually be fully exposed in front of her. I swallow my nerves, telling myself it's going to happen sometime anyway, and hoist myself up, sitting on the very edge of the wood.

I fold into myself, shivering. Sara wraps me up in her arms, not even taking the time to ogle me like a creepy old man like she normally would. She's completely focused on me and my needs right now, warming me up with kisses to my arms, chest, stomach, legs. It sends another shiver throughout me and I tip my head back, tangling my hands in her dripping hair.

I love her so much. There are no words to explain it.

Then all of a sudden, something within me expands. It's all encompassing and I feel like I may never take another breath again if I don't have all of Sara, completely engulfing me, inside and out this very moment. I pull away and grab her face, staring deep into her hazel orbs. She looks back at me, completely mesmerized, hopefully sharing my exact thoughts and feelings.

"Sara," I wheeze, feeling like my lungs are going to swell right out of my chest. "I'm ready."


	23. First Times and Blown Minds

**A/N: **Do I win some kind of award for writing 22 chapters of a Quincest fic with no smut? I seriously think that's a record. I hope I don't let any of you down, and if I do, please keep it to yourself, lol. I'm so nervous about posting this I probably won't get any sleep tonight! So I really hope you enjoy, and if you do, let me know! :)

Also, I'll give $10 to anyone who spots the Florence and The Machine reference. ;)

** Sara's POV**

It's happening. It's finally happening.

I can feel Tegan's need radiating off of her, pulsing around me in short, hot bursts. I kiss her above the bellybutton while my palms continue to caress her smooth skin, letting my thumbs dip into the crevice where her juicy thighs just barely meet, teasing her.

One look into her lidded, dilated pupils is enough to tell me that she was sincere in her strenuous confession. I hook my finger under her chin and bring her down to meet me in a honeyed kiss. She tastes so sweet and is bound to taste even sweeter in other places.

I slide my hand down Tegan's tummy and trail my kisses to just under her ear, eliciting soft sighs from her while I lick and nibble on her sweet spot. I slide my hand back up, palming her left breast. Her stiff nipple pokes at my palm, begging to be touched. I tweak the hardened bud between my thumb and forefinger, rolling and pinching until her breath catches in her throat.

I kiss the strained tendons in her neck, smiling between each kiss, loving her body's reactions. Her reluctance to moan is adorable, but I want to hear her pleasure and desires vocalized. With her right breast now in my palm, I give it the same treatment. Tegan draws another sharp breath and I flick my tongue across her pierced ear lobe. With steamy breath, I tempt her in her ear: "Can you tell me what you want?"

She whines, digging her trimmed nails into the tensed muscles in my shoulder, making me growl. She's driving me insane and doesn't even know it. We're both struggling now with trembling thighs, wetness gathering and dripping between them, but I hold my willpower to touch her, and even myself. I want to hear the fantasies that I know Tegan keeps in the back of her mind, pretending like they don't exist. I want to hear every single one of them and bring them to life.

I bite at her taut skin, leaving teeth marks and small purple bruises for her to admire when the sun rises until she gives in, admitting, "You."

"That's it?" I tempt her further, my voice husky; an octave lower. I stroke her thighs, dragging my nails roughly down to her knees only to smooth out the redness when I stroke back up.

"Yes." She grunts through clenched teeth, threatening to ground the enamel down to nothing. "I want to be completely taken by you. . . I want to be devoured be you. . . I don't want a single thought or feeling without you there. . . I just. . . want. . . you."

Fuck. I feel myself ooze down my leg and wash off into the water. That was so fucking hot. I squeeze her fleshy thighs, leaving reddened thumb print inches away from where I want to devour her and kiss her neck, shoulders, and down to her chest, giving each small bundle of nerves a wet, open mouthed kiss.

"Oh." Tegan sighs happily.

I smirk and pull myself up to kiss her lovingly on the lips. She blushes, looking down with a smile that spreads from ear to ear. So damn cute. I kiss her all over her face with giggles coming from the both of us.

"Sare." Tegan swats me away. Her shoulders are shaking from laughter but I ignore her scolding tone, kissing every visible inch of her body sweetly, putting all of my feelings for her into each one. It being Tegan's first time, I know she probably won't last long and I want to drag it out as long as possible until her body knows nothing but me.

I lower myself back into the water and pull Tegan's legs over my shoulders, bringing myself eye to eye with her shaven puffy lips, pink and shiny with her need for me.

From deep within my belly, a low growl creeps up my throat and I distract myself with her thick thighs and full hips to stop myself from sinking my teeth into her like I would a ripe, juicy peach.

"Sare, please." Tegan begs. She squirms under my touch with little whines, digging her heels into my back to try to bring my closer. I move in another inch, cleaning up the trails of Tegan leaking between her legs with swipes of my broad tongue. The second she absorbs into my taste buds, I hear the angels descending, surrounding us, singing out the sweetest song known to man. Okay, maybe that's not happening but her taste is so heavenly, it feels like that should be happening. I lick my lips, savoring her taste, and moan. It'd be a damn privilege if this were the only thing I were to taste for the rest of my life.

"Sara. . . fuck. . _please_." Tegan all but cries out.

I grin devilishly. Like I said, I want to drag this out as long as possible, building her up and then throw her over the edge when she leasts expects it, without warning, sending her into an abyss of absolute ecstasy.

I wiggle my hand between Tegan's legs, urging her to spread herself a little more for me. I tease her entrance, circling slowly, and she contracts, preparing myself for me and trying to suck my finger deep inside of her.

"Oh wow," she sighs, running her hand through my hair, digging at my scalp to hold me in place, ready for the ride of her life.

I smile and kiss her mound, over a neatly trimmed patch of hair. I tease her a bit more, just because I can, and pop my finger into my mouth, sucking it clean while looking seductively into her eyes.

Tegan sets her jaw, flaring her nostrils as she exhales loudly, giving me a pointed, yet pleading look. It's absolutely driving her insane that I won't take her already, and the thought makes me smirk. Throwing my off, Tegan returns the expression, unexpectedly pulling me into her and flooding my mouth with her cum. My moan is muffled by her slick sex against me. Overwhelmed, my head spins, and I fear for a moment that I just came on the spot.

**Tegan's POV**

Holy fucking shit. Oh my God. Oh. My. _God_.

A wave of pure pleasure crashes over me, completely drowning me, and my eyes roll into the back of my head. I never dreamed it would feel this amazing, and believe me, I spent a lot of time dreaming about this moment. My hips buck up to meet Sara's tongue, licking and sucking, completely going at me like a peasant at a feast. Her own vocal appreciation comes out in short gasps of air, feral growls, and loud slurping.

Sara flicks her tongue rapidly over my pulsing clit, then pulls it between her lips, sucking it like a lollipop. It's driving me crazy. There's a pressure building in my lower stomach, and my feet start tingling. I bite my lip hard enough to make it bleed. I want to cry out and I want to cry. Sara is so perfect. I'm so glad she's the one making me feel this way. I know no one can or will ever make me feel like this. I never want her to stop.

Her finger wriggles inside of me with ease, though I'm tight. Really tight. She pulls out, only to push back into me and curl her finger up. I moan out her name loudly, and she gives me what I asked of her. I'm unable to process any other thought than her.

** Sara's POV**

Tegan's legs lift from my shoulders and hang in the air with her toes curled up. She's not going to last much longer. I detach my lips from her and watch her face in wonder. I want to see her fall off the edge. I pump a second finger into her and her hips roll forward to meet my thrusts.

"Tegan, look at me." I kiss her knee and rest a hand on the middle of her back, holding her up as my fingers go deeper.

She shakes her head, biting her lip. Her hand is gone from the back of my head in an instant, clinging onto the backs of her thighs instead. "I.. can't.. " She struggles to pant out, staring up at the stars, and then her eyes are clamped shut and her shoulders lurch forward, making her lips curl around her teeth in a wide, silent scream. She's caving in, spilling into my palm, and it's the most breathtaking thing I've ever witnessed. I can't blink. I don't want to miss a moment of it, and I let the image of Tegan coming burn itself into my mind forever.

I wait to pull out of her, until her shoulders stop shaking, but she's still going, bringing her hips forward every second to still feel me. A smile of pure bliss is planted on her face, now cocked lazily to the side. Her walls are still contracting around me and I wonder if I can keep her going. Pulling out of her, I bring her to the edge of the dock to cover her drenched lips with my mouth, and eat her out, gliding my tongue over her folds, around her clit, and then into her, burying my face as deep as I can.

Tegan lets out squeaks, then tightens around me again. Her body starts spasming again and I try to hold her up, gripping onto her hips, but I can't. She tips onto me, and before I can take another breath, we're both sinking under the water.

**Tegan's POV**

Pure, absolute nirvana.

My second orgasm rams into me like a bull, making me see stars, and I lose control. I'm like a rag doll, falling, and falling. The pleasure won't stop, and I don't ever want it to. I try to take a breath, but take in only water. I start to panic, then Sara's arms are around me bringing me up, keeping me afloat. My body is completely numb and I lay my head on her shoulder, taking in huge gulps of cool air, and let my body come down from that amazing high.

"Wow, babe." Sara chuckles, running her fingers through my hair.

I smile, kissing her neck, and respond dreamily. "Yeah, wow."

"Did I break you?"

"Maybe." I admit with a laugh. "Why didn't you tell me that's what I was missing out on? We could have done–"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Sara quips. I bite my tongue with a snigger and the she's bringing me up from her shoulder to bring us eye to eye. There's nothing but love for me in her darkened pools. I swell with happiness, more than I thought was ever possible of feeling, and kiss her tenderly on the lips.

"I love you." I sigh, leaving kisses on her nose and cheeks. "Can I return the favor?"

Sara grins from ear to ear, excited like a little kid on Christmas waiting to open their heap of presents, and nods. We share another kiss, bringing our foreheads to rest against each other's. I bring my hand up to her left breast, running the pad of my thumb across the nipple before squeezing her gently.

"Don't hold back." Sara encourages.

I give a weak nod and kiss her shoulder, bringing my hand between her legs nervously. She hitches a leg on my waist and nuzzles her cheek against my collar bone, exhaling with a contented sigh. I can tell she wants this more than I do. I take a deep breath, pressing my lips to her neck, shoulders, and collar bone over and over, distracting myself from my nerves.

My fingers find the pool waiting for me to dive into and my breath catches in my throat. She's so warm. My fingers touch all of Sara, discovering and learning, and she starts to moan softly in my ear. I tentatively slide a digit inside of her, letting her walls get a feel for me, and getting used to the feeling myself. It's different, but it feels like home. Mimicking what she did to me, I curl my finger up slightly to feel a small, spongey spot, earning a whimper muffled into my neck.

I pull out and push back in again, growing more confident with each plunge. Sara's grinding into me now, releasing her hot breath right into my ear, muttering my name over and over, coaxing me to give her her release.

"Please, Tegan." She pleads. The desperation is clear in her voice, giving me the drive to give her what she gave me. I nod, rubbing my cheek against hers, and push into her deeper, faster, letting my palm push into her clit until she pools into my palm and sinks her teeth into me with a low groan.

"I love you too, by the way." She tells me after a moment, slinging her arms around my neck and removing her leg from my waist. She closes her eyes and kisses me sweetly.

I'm struck with that overwhelming sensation again, like I can't breathe, and I fight to keep myself from crying, but ultimately lose. I rub the tears away and snuggle into Sara, wanting to feel her warmth and love.

"Tee? What's wrong?" Sara asks, worried. She cups my chin and looks into my eyes. It physically hurts to see the way she looks at me, with such devotion, but I want the pain. I need her to forever look at me that way, or I might whither away otherwise.

"Nothing." I shake my head, and bring my hand to her chest to feel her heart beat. It's still beating fast, like it's trying to leap out of her chest and into my palm. I sniffle, looking over her shoulder to the moon's reflection shimmering in the water. I fear I'll be swallowed and taken under if I look at Sara in this moment. "I was just thinking about how perfect you are, how perfect you make me feel, and how perfect this night is. I didn't think it was possible to fall even more in love with you, but here I am, falling into this endless pit of you and I don't ever want to hit the ground. I've given you everything now but I feel like we're just getting started and I need you to hang on to me and fall with me," I sniffle, feeling foolish for becoming such a blubbering mess after such a passionate moment, but continue, "I guess what I'm just trying to say is, just..."

Her hand comes to rest on mine, helping to keep her heart in her chest.

"...never let me go, Sara."


	24. A Campfire and Candy

**A/N:** Mostly fluff. :) Is that what you guys want, or do you want drama? I mapped out the rest of the chapters the other day (don't worry, there'll probably be another 15 until I wrap this up) and it was mostly fluff/smut with a bit of drama towards the end. I want to write things that you guys will like so if this is good fluff, let me know, and I'll try to continue on with this and also update sooner and more often! Thank you! Enjoy! :)

* * *

**Tegan's POV**

"Good morning," Sara chirps, peeking at me from over her laptop

"Hi." I smile back, leaning against the door.

"What's wrong with your clothes?" Sara asks, closing her laptop a bit and gesturing to my pajamas.

I glance down, trying to find something amiss with the ratty old tee and boxer shorts covering my body, but come up with nothing. I look at Sara, confused, and ask: "Uhm.. I don't know? What's wrong with them?"

"They're _mine_!" She laughs, scrunching up her nose in a way that makes my heart flutter.

"Oh." I blush, crossing my arms over my chest. I try to climb onto Sara's bed to join her, but her foot meets my stomach instead, denying my access.

"Nuh-uh." Sara shakes her finger scoldingly and wiggles her toes into me, making me giggle. "I don't allow thieves in my bed. Give the clothes back and then you can join."

I put my hands on my hips and glare at Sara. She gives me a satisfied smirk, loving how easy it is to tease me because she knows I'll give in. We stare each other down until I sigh, grumbling to myself, and strip down to my maroon sports bra and bikini cut black panties, stretched tightly across my body.

"That's better." Sara pats the spot next to her and I bounce onto the bed, curling in next to her warm body, resting my head on her chest. She drags her fingertips across my back absentmindedly while she resumes her task on the internet and I draw lazy circles on her lower stomach, watching her search for apartments in Vancouver. It makes me feel giddy, seeing the pictures of possible places we'll live.

I point to a listing for a one bedroom that looks pretty nice, but Sara scrolls past, clicking on a cheaper studio listing instead.

"Don't you think a studio will be too small?" I ask.

"Vancouver's expensive," Sara sighs. "I can only afford so much, Tegan. Besides, you'll have your own space in the dorms."

"Yeah, but it's not like I'll actually be spending a lot of time there. I'll mostly be with you at your place, right?" I sit up and look at Sara, suddenly panicking and finding it difficult to breath. I can't risk being apart from Sara, giving her the opportunity to find someone else and, ultimately leave me.

Sara tucks my bed head behind my ear and smiles sympathetically. "Well yeah, if that's what you want. I would love it if you were to wake up in my bed every morning but I also don't want to be selfish. I want you to have a proper college experience, you know? Join clubs, have study groups, go to parties, meet new people, all that stuff."

I lay back down and hug Sara's waist, feeling myself slowly calm down. I was being silly. Sara loves me, she's not just going to leave.

"What about you? Won't you get bored?" I ask.

Sara chuckles. "I'll be working when you're in class and practice, and if I do get bored, maybe I'll take a couple classes at a community college for fun but either way, it's going to be fine, we're going to be fine, so don't worry about it. Okay, Tee?"

I nod against Sara's chest and we fall into a comfortable silence, browsing through more apartments until my mind grows weary again.

"Hey Sara?" I speak up.

"Hm?" She grunts, stalling her typing.

I bite my lip and look up from my place on her shoulder. "So about last night.. uhm.. How was it for you? Was it okay? I mean, did I do alright?"

"I came, didn't I?" She responds with a mischievous chuckle.

"Is that a yes?" I ask, still unsure.

"Yes babe, that is a yes. You totally blew me away, and I can't wait until it happens again." Sara kisses my forehead and rubs my arm comfortingly. I hum, nuzzling into her.

"I can't wait either." I admit, then sit up again. I hug a pillow to my chest and rest my cheek against the fluffy feathers. "What do you want to do today?"

"You." Sara grins cheekily, removing my pillow only to replace it with her body. We fall backwards and Sara pins my wrists above my head. She has to know it does her no good to try to pin me down. I could overpower in a second, but I feel myself getting excited by her dominance nonetheless.

"We could play today, but I have to work soon." Sara says, lowering her hips onto mine. My own instinctively rise up to meet her and she groans. I bite my lip, suppressing my own sounds of appreciation, but the lack of material between us is making it rather difficult.

"All day?" I breathe out.

"Until seven, then I thought we could go to Jack's. He's having a fire with a bunch of people. It should be fun."

I collapse against the bed, suddenly not in the mood to 'play' anymore and whine. "Will Stacy be there?"

Sara reacts to my mood change and releases me, leaning back on her heels and shrugging casually. "I don't know. Probably. We can just ignore her though."

"Yeah, I know, but what if she doesn't ignore us?" I counter, bringing up a good point.

"I don't know!" Sara sighs. She balls her fists in frustration and strains the tendons in her neck. "If you don't want us to go, just say so Tegan."

"Sara," I say softly, almost cautious. I don't want her to get mad at me, especially after last night. I link our hands together and rest them on my stomach. I stroke the pads of my thumb over her skin and her features start to soften. I can feel her come back to me.

"I'm sorry." She says, quietly.

"It's okay." I say, then change the subject. I can decide later if I want to go or not. "What am I supposed to do all day?"

"Wait for me to get home." Sara smiles, pulling me into a sitting position. Her legs wrap around my middle and she brings me into her arms. I lean in and kiss her on the lips.

"That's a lot of waiting." I pout.

"Why don't you invite someone over? You haven't hung out with yours friends in a long time." Sara suggests.

I nod. That's true. I can't remember the last time I hung out with anyone. I think I'll call Ashley up.

"Okay well I'm going to go hop in the shower." Sara says, climbing off the bed. She grabs a fresh change of clothes and I follow her into the hall, ducking back into my room to throw some clothes on and snatch my phone before going downstairs to the kitchen.

I throw together a couple quick sandwiches together for Sara and I and call Ashley. I pick my sandwich apart, eating it slowly, waiting for either Sara or Ashley, whoever gets here first. I pop the last bite of my sandwich in my mouth just as the door bell rings.

"Hey!" I say, opening the door.

"Hi Teegs!" Ashley replies happily, pulling me into a hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever! You have a lot to catch me up on!"

"I know, I know." I gush, leading her into the kitchen. She looks around, taking in the new place I call home.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask.

"Water's fine, thanks."

I open the fridge and grab a water bottle, handing it to her. I lean against the counter and take a sip from my own water, letting the cool liquid wash down my nerves. It really has been a long time since I've caught up with Ashley. So much has happened since Sara and I got together, I don't even know where to begin.

Sara comes down the stairs, still buttoning her scrubs for her shift at the nursing home. She looks so damn cute in them, even if she does choose to only wear the boring, plain black ones.

"Hi Sara." Ashley greets Sara, smiling warmly.

"Hey Ashley. How are you?" Sara asks with a mouthful of her sandwich.

"Pretty good. Really glad it's summer. You?"

"Running late." Sara responds with a chuckle. She grabs a water and puts it in her backpack, zipping it up.

"Do you want a ride?" I ask.

"No, I'll just take my bike. Thanks for the sandwich, babe." Sara kisses my cheek. "Think about tonight, okay? It'll be fine, I promise."

"I will." I nod, following her to the door. She stands outside and I kiss her goodbye, out of Ashley's view.

"Have a good day, Sare." I mumble against her lips. "I love you."

"Mm, love you too." Sara smiles into the kiss and slides her hand to my back, pulling me flush against her. I smile too, and it's just our outstretched lips touching. It's not even a real kiss, but it's nice.

"You should go." I whisper.

"I should." Sara whispers back. Her hand trails lower and squeezes. I moan into her mouth and latch on to the door to keep myself steady. I hate, yet completely love, when she does that.

Ashley suddenly clears her throat, reminding me of her presence. I pull away from Sara and wipe my mouth, feeling my skin heat with embarrassment. Sara smirks, waves at Ashley, then gives me a final, for real, goodbye kiss. I watch her peddle out of the driveway and down the road before shutting the door, returning my attention back to Ashley.

** Sara's POV**

I take the long way from after work, stopping by the dock. With a huge smile on my face, I sit in the exact same place Tegan's nude body had been last night, and pull my pipe and lighter out of my backpack, piecing apart the green bud and packing a small bowl.

I light up, lean back on my elbows, and let my hazy mind process last night. It was unexpected, certainly, but there couldn't have been a better time or place. I fell in love with her a little more even though I thought was physically impossible by now.

Now that I have all of Tegan, I just want to explore everything she is and all that we can be. I take another hit, letting my eye flutter shut, and think about the way Tegan shoved my face right into her, filling me up with her sweetness. Just thinking about it is making me wet, and I lick my lips, convincing myself that her taste is still there even though I brushed it all away this morning. I need to find a way to get that uninhibited side of Tegan to come out more. I need to find what really gets her going. Hell, she probably needs to figure out what gets her going.

My phone buzzes and I open the message from Tegan, asking when I'm going to be home. I send her a short text back, telling her soon, and laze around for a bit more, waiting for the high to settle.

Tegan and supper are waiting for me when I get home. Tegan hands me a piece of frozen pizza and I dive right in. Mmm, munchies. I have to say, it's really nice to come home after work, having food and my girl there, waiting for me to put them in my mouth. Hah. I finish off the crust and pull Tegan in for a kiss. She pulls away, smiling, and takes another bite of her pizza. "I want to go to Jack's."

I change into normal clothes after we finish eating and head out to Jack's. He lives past me, further out in the country, and it's already almost ten by the time we get there. I take Tegan's hand and lead her into the backyard, lit up by a huge campfire and surrounded by my friends all laughing, talking, or drinking.

After we greet everyone, we find an open spot to sit on a thick tree trunk. There's only room for one person so I plop down first and pull Tegan onto my lap. I wrap my arms around her middle and she traces random shapes on the underside of my thigh. No one's really talking to us, but I don't mind and I don't think Tegan minds either. It's just nice to be together in a group of people.

"Do you mind if I have a drink?" I ask Tegan after a while.

She shakes her head, making her tickle my face and I give her side a squeeze. "Do you want one?"

"No, I have to drive." Tegan says and stands up, turning to me. "What do you want? I'll get it for you."

"A beer is fine. Oh, can you snag that bowl of gummy bears on the picnic table too? Thanks, babe."

A few minutes later Tegan returns and resumes her place on my lap. Eventually we get caught up in conversations with other people besides each other and I get caught up in drinking beer after beer. Tugging on Tegan's shirt, I whisper to her that I need to go to the bathroom and she tears herself away from whoever she was talking to. It's hard to decipher faces when it's dark and you're drunk.

"Don't you two have sex in my house!" Jack calls out to us.

"Unless we can watch!" Ted adds with a laugh.

Tegan ducks behind her hand in embarrassment while I flash them my middle finger with a grin and tighten my hold on Tegan as she guides my wobbly feet into the house, towards the bathroom.

I shut the door behind me and Tegan heads for the sink. She fixes her hair in the mirror while I finish doing my business. I flush and step up behind her, snaking my arms around her sides to wash my hands in the sink.

"You're cute." I say, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"You're drunk." She replies with a giggle.

I smile, not denying it. It's been a while since I've had even one drink, and it feels good to have the alcohol in my system again, loosening me up. I shake the droplets of water from my hands, wipe them on my jeans, then slide them under Tegan's shirt. In the mirror, she raises an eyebrow at me, questioning, and I start kissing her neck. My hands continue north to massage her roughly over her bra.

"Mm, god I love your tits." I moan against her skin.

"_Sara_," Tegan scolds, fidgeting around. "Don't call them _that_."

Laughing at her frigidness, I push my body closer to hers and pull the material of her bra down, exposing her. With a voice like silk, and a little bit slurred, I nibble at her earlobe and whisper, "Wanna have a quickie?"

"No!" Tegan giggles and turns around, forcing me to stop groping her. She chews her lip while staring at mine, then makes up her mind, leaning forward to kiss me heatedly. I kiss back with just as much fervor, feeling light headed. I grab fistfuls of her shirt and jerk her away from the sink, only to slam her against the wall. Her moan tumbles into my mouth and I smile, moving to attack her neck.

"Are you sure?" I question, soothing the spot I just sunk my teeth into with my tongue.

"Uh.. uh-huh.." She lets out pathetically, grabbing at my body desperately.

There's a knock on the door and we both freeze, trying to quiet our breathing.

"Just a minute!" I call to the stranger on the other side.

I glance back to Tegan, resting against the wall, looking exhausted. She gives me a look and that's all it takes for us to break out in uncontrollable laughter. I wrap my arms around her and we shake together, unable to quiet down. I smile wider than I think I ever have before. I've never been this happy, and I know Tegan feels the same.

The knock returns and Tegan sighs, gently pushing me off of her. I lean against the sink while she gets the door. She cracks it open for only a second before hurrying to close it again and turning the lock in place. She whips around and looks at me with panic in her eyes.

"It's Stacy."

"Shit." I say, with a bit of a chuckle. It was so not funny that of all people to be on the other side of the door it had to be her that it made almost funny.

"What do we do?" Tegan steps back over to me, latching onto my arm. Sure. Go to the drunk one for a solution.

I shrug, looking around the small bathroom, trying to find a way out. I point to the window on the outer wall and Tegan gives me a look. I smile and nod, pulling her along with me. We slide the window open and pop out the screen, letting it hit the ground outside. Peeking over the ledge, we share a nervous glance at the jump we'll have to make onto the gravel lining the edge of the house.

Stacy knocks again, louder this time, and we both give a little jump.

"You first." I give Tegan a pat on the bum.

She starts to protest but Stacy is being persistent. There's no time to argue. With a groan, she uses all of her muscles to hoist herself up. I have to hold my hands behind my back and fidget with my fingers to stop myself from caressing her biceps, exposed from her lack of sleeves.

"Fuck, Tee. Just hurry up." I groan, forcing myself to look away. I don't understand how one person can be so fucking sexy. It's just not right.

I hear her land with a thud and then grunt. She appears at the window and grins, dangling her keys from her finger. She looks over her shoulder at the truck and takes a step back.

"Don't you dare." I glare at her and stick my arm out the window faster than she can blink, gripping onto her wrist and yank her back to me. I hold my other hand out and Tegan helps pull me up. I try to use what little muscle I can manage to use in my inebriated state, but she's doing most of the work.

My feet make it out and we tumble over, landing painfully in the small expanse of rocks. We break out into laughter, paying no mind to the pain we feel in our scraped skin, and I quickly kiss Tegan. She smiles against my lips before pulling away and looking at me. All I see is love, and happiness. God, I love this girl. I kiss her again then hold my hand out to help her stand.

We pop the screen back in, giggling over the continuous pounding on the door, then make a dash for Tegan's truck. We slide in and collapse onto each other, holding onto arms and hips until our sides hurt from too much laughing. At one point, I forget what we're laughing about. It just feels good to laugh with Tegan.

"Let's go down by the lake." Tegan suggests, catching her breath and wiping tears from the corner of my eyes.

I flash her a devilish grin, thinking what a great idea that is. I move to buckle myself in when I realize my pockets are empty. I left my cellphone by the fire.

"Shit." I curse under my breath.

"What?" Tegan asks nervously, looking out the windows to see if Stacy is coming.

I put a hand on her knee and shake my head. "My phone. It's by the fire, where we were sitting."

** Tegan's POV**

"You doofus." I giggle at Sara. I've never seen her drunk before but I kind of like it. She's still the same, just more goofy and ditzy.

I swing my door open and hop out, taking a step to quickly snatch her phone, but Sara pulls on the neck of my shirt.

"Baaabe, wait," Sara slurs, flashing me a toothy grin.

I chuckle and tilt my head. "What?"

"Can you grab that bowl of Skittles while you're at it?" She asks cutely, scrunching her nose as she smiles.

I nod, rolling my eyes. Sara better start praying that I'll make it big in hockey so I can afford to have her get all of the cavities she's doomed to get filled in. I take off towards the backyard and snatch Sara's phone from the tree trunk where we were sitting and the full bowl of Skittles. Luckily no one talks to me, or even seems to notice me, but I run back to Sara anyway, leaving a trail of rainbow candies behind me.

"Here, taste the rainbow." I hand Sara her things and climb back into the truck, buckling and starting the engine. I start to back out of the driveway but press my foot down on the break when I feel Sara's warm breath in my ear and cheeky whispering. "Didn't I do that last night?"

I blush, but I can't help but smile and feel a shiver run down my spine while I nod. She definitely did, and if I'm any good at judging, I'm her favorite candy.


	25. Mail and Money

**Sara's POV**

"Tegan!" I call from the bottom of the stairs.

I hear the sound of floorboards creaking and a door opening and closing. I tap my foot against the floor, waiting impatiently while her feet shuffle along the hallway slowly. Since when was I dating a sloth?

Tegan appears at the top of the stairs, still in her pajamas and her hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She rubs the sleep from her eyes tiredly, trudging down the stairs and walking right into my body. She hangs her arms loosely around my shoulders and yawns.

"It's almost noon, ya know." I peck her on the forehead, keeping my arms hidden behind my back.

"It's summer, give me a break." She whines, dragging her feet to the fridge to find something to munch on. She pulls out a bag of baby carrots and sets the open bag on the counter, along with her elbows, before taking a bite of one with her head hung low.

"Are you hungover or something?" I inquire, leaning on the counter opposite of her.

"No." She replies curtly. She turns to the sink to fill up a glass of water, and I smile sweetly at her. She glares at me, taking a big gulp. "You wouldn't let me go to bed because you insisted that we watch an entire season of The Dog Whisperer, which apparently translates into 'I'm going to turn your entire body into one huge hickey until you physically can't stay awake anymore.'"

"I recall you enjoying it." I bite my lip, stifling a giggle.

"That's not the point." Tegan raises an eyebrow, popping another carrot into her mouth. She rolls her eyes at my smirk and my gaze admiring her bruised neck then gives a nod to my arms, still hidden behind my back. "What are you hiding?"

"Oh nothing." I sing out, backing away into the living room. I sit down in Dad's comfy leather recliner, looking at the large manilla envelope in my hands, and wait for Tegan.

Her head appears over the top of the chair a moment later, peaking down at me. "You're not supposed to sit there."

I grin up at her and spin around, looking over the sides of the arm rest. If Dad isn't here to see me sitting in it, then technically it never happened.

"How's it feel to be dating a rebel?" I wiggle my eyebrows and wrap my legs around Tegan, bringing her down to fall into my lap.

"You're not a rebel." She giggles, tearing the envelope from my arms, reading her name and the UBC return address on it. Her smile widens and she sets the envelope in her lap, turning back to me, running a finger slowly down my arm. "You're like a soft little kitten. That's high on catnip."

I swat her hand away, rubbing out the goosebumps, and stick my tongue out at her. "You don't know nothing." I say, promising myself I'll show her just how rebellious I can be.

"Sure, Sare." Tegan giggles, returning her focus back to the package in her lap. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know, but it looks important." I shrug.

Tegan shrugs too, tearing one side of the envelope open, and dumping the contents onto her lap. She picks up the thick packet, reading over the front cover. She slowly starts to smile. "It's my dorm and roommate assignment."

I grin wide, rubbing her back. "Well let's see who she is," I flip the first page over, leaning in to get a better look.

"Her name's Emy.. she's from New York.. and she's studying graphic design.." Tegan reads quietly, skimming through the first paragraph and flipping to the next page.

A few months ago, Tegan had to fill out this whole questionnaire about herself, practically writing her entire life story, that would be given to her future roommate. Ever since she mailed it, she's been waiting so impatiently to get hers.

"She seems pretty cool. Oh look, here's a picture." Tegan points to a professionally taken headshot, much like the ones we had taken for the yearbook.

"She's a cutie." I say, admiring her long brown hair, brown eyes, and wide smile. She seems warm, and sweet. Actually, she kind of resembles Tegan a bit. I definitely can't complain about that. Can you say dorm sleepovers?

"Don't you get any ideas in that dirty head of yours." Tegan warns, shooting me a look.

"Too late." I whisper breathily in her ear and push the papers off her lap. I attack her neck with sloppy kisses and shift her so she's straddling my lap instead of sitting in it.

"Sa-Sara!" Tegan bites her lip, stifling a moan. "We can't.. not here.."

** Tegan's POV**

"Oh yes we can, and we are." Sara sinks her teeth into my neck. I cry out, not used to the roughness. My body falls forward as Sara pulls the lever on the side of the recliner, springing us backward. Hands grip at my body, tugging on every fleshy part of me she can find, until she grasps my tiny green athletic shorts and rips them down from my waist, leaving me exposed in the open living room. I say a silent prayer, hoping neither of her parents come home from work early and catch us.

"I want you so bad, Tee." Sara growls, nipping at my bottom lip, hanging low to expel deep breaths. I cry out again and thrust forward, burying my face into the crook of Sara's neck to hide my whimper from the stinging spreading throughout my body, starting from my ass. Sara smooths her hands over the area she just smacked and kisses the top of my head, speaking softly while she asks for permission, "Can I have you?"

I let out a groan. Rough one moment, completely gentle the next. I swear I'll never understand this girl. She continues rubbing her hands over my bare flesh and kissing my face until I give in, nodding frantically. It's been weeks since we've been together in that way. In fact it was that night after we left Jack's and went back by the lake. We sat on the dock for a while and with the alcohol in Sara's system, one thing lead to another and we found ourselves in the bed of my truck.

"I love you, babe." Sara brings her hand to my stomach, then lower, finding a pool of wetness waiting for her. I just can't help getting soaked within seconds when Sara touches me. She chuckles smugly, stroking me between my folds, scissoring my clit and rubbing in slow circles.

I dig my fingers into the leather armrests, rolling my hips slowly. I feel guilty doing such indecent things on Bruce's chair but I'm at Sara's mercy. Her middle finger dips inside of me all the way to the knuckle, curling upward, making me burrow my face deeper into her neck to muffle my cries of pleasure. A second finger is added and the whole chair is rocking wildly now, threatening to throw us backwards, onto the floor. My toes are already starting to curl. I arch my back, letting my head fall back, and start to ride Sara. She stares back at me in complete awe, watching my hips roll down to meet her rough thrusts, her fingers being swallowed up by me with slick slurps, and how my thighs begin to shake.

"Fuck." We both moan at the same time.

I tighten around her, teetering on the edge until Sara pushes me off, sending me into a state of bliss. With my eyes struggling to stay open, I watch her through slits watching me run down her fingers and into her palm. After I stop contracting around her, Sara pulls out. She brings her fingers in front of her face, hypnotized, and slowly parts them to watch my come string between them. Her lips curling upward, she pops them into her mouth, sucking them dry. She dips them between my folds again, hungry for more and makes my whole body jerk. I let myself collapse, completely spent. That was tiring, but so good. I can't even begin to explain how happy I am that we've reached this point in our relationship. I'm sure Sara's even more happy.

I try to control my breathing, letting Sara wrap her arms around me to snuggle in close. Her heart beats against my ear resting on her chest. It's so calming, like lullaby written just for me, making me yawn.

"I need a nap."

Sara's chest shakes as she laughs. She helps guide my shorts and undies back up around my hips, giving me a playful tap on the bum. "You just got up! Besides, you got more mail."

"From where?" I ask, sitting up.

Sara grabs a white envelope off the side table, handing it to me. "Doesn't look like anything too exciting."

I take the envelope, reading the Royal Bank of Canada address in the lefthand corner. Probably just a monthly statement. I don't have any money but I open it anyway just to amuse myself. I scan over my account information, then all the blood drains from my face. I look over everything again, making sure this was meant for me.

_Tegan R. Quin _it reads at the top.

What the... This has got to be a prank. I've never had that much money in my life. I've only ever seen that much with ...my parents. Fuck. My bottom lip just out, trembling, and my vision is blurred by the wetness pooling in the corners of my eyes. Did they think they could just buy me and my love back like I was one of their over the top Corvettes?

"I hate them. I hate them so much." I repeat over and over under my breath angrily.

"Tee? What's the matter?" Sara asks carefully, putting a gentle hand on my knee, and running her thumb across my skin to calm me.

I shake my head. I can't even speak. Sara takes the paper from my balled fist, smooths the crinkles out, and reads it over. Her eyes bug out when she reads the large sum of money; probably enough to cover more than my entire tuition at UBC, if I didn't already have a full ride there.

"Oh my God, Tegan. This is..."

"Awful." I finish for her, tearing the paper from her grip, crumpling it into a ball, and tossing it across the room. "Why do they keep messing with my happiness? Can't they just leave me alone?"

Sara frowns, looking slightly confused. She pulls me back down to rest on her chest. Her heart is beating fast now. It doesn't calm me.

"I don't think I understand why this is a bad thing, Tee." Sara says quietly.

"Because... it's _them_." I utter with disdain. "I'm not merchandise that can be bought back. It's like drug money. It's dirty. I can't use it, giving them the satisfaction that they still play a role in my life."

Sara sighs, treading lightly. I know that money means more to her than me. She isn't used to it being so disposable. That was like pocket change with my parents, not a years salary.

"Don't be foolish, Tegan. It doesn't mean anything if you spend it. It doesn't matter where it comes from. You know we could put that money to good use, like to that one bedroom apartment you wanted."

Of course we could put it to good use. I know that. That's not the point though. I sigh, turning my head the other way to stare out the window at the birds feeding on the hanging feeder. "You don't understand. You _can't _understand."

"I know, and I hate that. I wish I could take away your pain and anger but I don't know how. You gotta help me out here."

"I don't know." I mumble. I don't have a clue. How are you supposed to get over your parents hating and abandoning you? You just don't.

"You can use it in ways that they would hate." Sara suggests, running her hands through my hair, massaging my scalp.

"Like how?" I ask, nuzzling into her chest and letting the scent of her fresh laundry detergent mixed in with her natural scent slow my racing heart.

"Like.. on our wedding, or for us to have a kid someday. Even using it on rent in Vancouver could work." Sara kisses the top of my head before continuing. "Or my favorite idea, spend it on a bench of sex toys and have crazy, wild sex for like.. ever. That would piss them off for sure."

I laugh, starting to feel better. Sara always knows what to say, and I'm sure her suggestions would easily work, especially that last one. I think it might just be my favorite one too. Or the wedding one. I can't wait for the day that Bruce walks Sara down the aisle, giving her to me. I'll be the one to take care of her and make her so happy, she'll feel as if she'll burst. I sit up and kiss her tenderly on the lips. "Thanks, Sare."

She smiles wide, her eyes lighting up, and she wipes the wetness from my face with love. "I know the first thing we can do with it. Go shower and then we'll go for a ride, yeah?"

I nod, suddenly excited for whatever she has planned, and hop off her lap, jogging up the stairs.

**Sara's POV**

All I can hear is Tegan's obnoxious and nerdy, but adorable laughter. It's easily one of my favorite sounds. So delightful and contagious.

I laugh along with her until she settles down, taking deep breaths and wiping tears from her eyes. She turns to me and flashes me that gummy grin, making me melt, and motions for me to scootch closer. I comply, snuggling in closer to her. I tuck my fingers under the bottom of her shorts near her inner thigh, connecting us just enough to keep us both satisfied and she puts the truck back in drive, pulling off the side of the road slowly.

Hunched forward with squinty eyes, Tegan drives like a grandma. Okay, worse than a grandma. She's driving at a snail's pace. Thank god we're on a back road, with no other cars and more importantly, no cops.

"Okay, okay. Pull back over." I demand, taking the wheel and guiding us off to the side, unable to take it anymore.

Tegan cuts the engine and unbuckles before throwing all of her weight on me and kissing me fiercely. Wow. I was not expecting that but I'm definitely not complaining. She pulls my bottom lip between hers and bites it gently. I moan, pushing back with equal intensity, but manage to pull away briefly for a much needed breath.

"You are so fucking high." I giggle.

"I feel all tingly." Tegan says, squirming around.

Her leg falls between mine, pressing right into my center, alerting all of my heightened senses. My clit twitches, aching for her touch. Groaning, I subtly attempt to grind against her thigh to give me that feeling I crave almost always. I grab her face and pull her back into me, slipping my tongue between her moist, parted lips.

Tegan wraps one arm around my waist, giving me leverage and easier access to her thigh. Smart girl. Her other hand cradles the nape of my neck. She's being gentle, but she's taking control for the first time. In public. Just the thought alone makes me moan. A car could drive by any second and see what we're doing. I say let 'em watch.

By now, I've completely soaked through my underwear, slowly working my way through my cotton shorts. It's impossible that I'll last long. I latch onto Tegan's hips, pulling her into me roughly. I ride her thigh, chanting her name out quietly. I feel the pressure start to build. I dig my fingernails into Tegan and she moves with me, working me towards my release. I bite my lip, holding in the guttural moan and let myself melt, turning into puddle like ice cream on a hot summer day.

"Wow. I didn't think that was possible." Tegan chuckles, brushing my hair off my sweat covered forehead.

"You could make me do that just by looking at me." I reply, taking in big gulps of air. It's true. There's no one in the world that could make me come like that from such little contact in such little time. That's why I'm going to marry this girl some day. I kiss Tegan sweetly and she leans back, resting against her door. She wipes sweat off her brow and glances down to her bare thigh, frowning. "You made a mess."

I sit up, leaning on my elbows and look, giggling. There's a small patch of wetness on her skin, glistening from the sunlight. "Clean it up," I smirk.

She peeks up at me through her eyelashes, blushing, but swipes her fingers over her leg, collecting my juices. She hesitantly licks it off, rolling her tongue to really get her first taste of me. She looks into my eyes, smiling shyly. "It's ...sweet."

"I can't believe you just did that." I laugh, nudging her with my foot.

"Me?" She asks incredulously, then points to my crotch. "You're the one that did it."

I look between my legs, seeing just how big of a mess I made. I'm so wet and it's clearly evident I just got fucked with my clothes on.

"I can smell you from all the way over here." She points out, still staring at my pussy with lust. I feel myself get excited again but close my legs, crawling over to her. Kissing her, I can taste a hint of myself and I try to take the kiss deeper, wanting to take her like she took me, but she pulls away.

"I'm going to need food before we do that again." She says.

I shake my head, chuckling, and go back to my seat, buckling in. "What do you want?"

"Ice cream." She answers without a second thought.

"My Favorite Ice Cream Shoppe?" I suggest. They're one of the best in Calgary.

Tegan's eyes immediately light up. "Oh! I've never been there before. I can't tell you how many times I've stared out the car window longingly at it."

"Well you're in for a treat." I lick my lips. "Just don't drive like a grandma this time."

Tegan shoots me a look, sticking her tongue out at me. I punch her in the shoulder playfully. She starts the truck and pulls back onto the road, thankfully driving like a normal person.

At the Shoppe, she stairs at the menu with wide eyes. There's over seventy flavors to choose from. She turns to me, smiling from ear to ear. I laugh, reaching out for her hand, swaying it between us. It was just too easy to make her happy. After a moment she finally walks up to the counter, taking me with her.

"Mint Chocolate Chip, please!" She says cutely to the cashier, more excited than the little boy in front of us had been. The cashier then looks up to me, waiting.

I give the menu one more scan. "Over the Rainbow." I tell him. Yum.


	26. New Teammates and Kinks

**A/N: **I don't know I managed to crank this out in like a total of six hours but I hope it continues to happen! I feel a lot better about this chapter than I do the last one and I hope you guys do too. :) I can't wait to start writing them actually living in Vancouver. They're going to have a lot fun. Don't forget to enjoy and review! Thanks for reading!

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**Sara's POV**

I throw Tegan and mines duffle bag into the trunk of Dad's car, then slam it shut securely. Road trip! I slide in next to Tegan in the back seat, and give Dad a thumbs up. He pulls out of the driveway, heading west.

Tegan and I are a month out from moving. We decided it would be a good idea to take a little four day trip to Vancouver so Tegan can check out the school, and meet her new hockey coach, and so I can find an apartment and a get a lease signed and secured. I don't think I've ever been so excited in my life. I don't even care that my parents only agreed on the idea if they could come with and that we all have to share a hotel room to save money. Tegan didn't say anything, but I know she was relieved to know they were coming. They're basically her parents too.

Mum turns on the radio to her favorite country station and Tegan and I groan. I love my parents to death but this was going to be eleven hours of torture. I slip my iPod out of my pocket and begin unraveling the tangled mess the headphones are in. I feel Tegan poke my leg and I glance over to her. She's holding a little gadget connected to her own set of headphones in her palm and she points to my iPod. I take it and shove it into the headphone jack then put my headphones in next to Tegan's so we can both listen to the same music. Genius.

Minutes pass, then hours. At some point Tegan found herself in the middle seat and now she's passed out on my shoulder. I think I can feel her drooling through my t-shirt. Gross, but still kind of cute. I put on her favorite Florence and The Machine song and rest my head on hers, letting myself drift off into dreamland.

I'm awoken by Mum shaking my shoulder, quietly whispering my name. I groan and stretch my arms, accidentally bumping Tegan away. Her head falls forward and then she snaps awake, looking around, alarmed. I giggle and let her know we're at the hotel. Thank goodness it's only a days drive to Vancouver.

I grab Tegan's hand along with our bag and we follow behind my parents silently, yawning as we go. The hotel room is pretty nice. It's right downtown so it kind of has to be. Unfortunately it's not divided into separate areas for the two different beds. It wasn't like I planned on having sex with Tegan while we were, considering our track record in hotel rooms, but I know she'll be uncomfortable spooning while we sleep and I'd rather get shot in the foot than listen to Dad taunting and teasing us, and Mum awing and tearing up if they were to see us.

It's not too late so we decide to order some pizza for dinner then head to bed. We have an early morning ahead of us. After the pizza arrives, Tegan and I dig into our Hawaiian style pizza like pigs while looking through more informational packets for school. We've practically picked apart everything there was to know about Emy in her profile and Tegan's even exchanged a few emails with her to figure out who's bringing what. Tegan's nervous, but I think they'll end up being friends. Hopefully I will too.

We get to the packet filled with the list of classes and Tegan sighs, pushing it under the pizza box. She planned on signing up tomorrow but I don't think she will. She doesn't know what she wants to major in, considering she's going mainly to play hockey but I loved looking through the list of classes. I've even been thinking about applying for Spring semester to study Creative Writing or something like that, though I haven't told Tegan yet. This is her dream, and I want to help her focus on that.

I finish off the last piece of our pizza, instantly regretting it, and fall onto my back, groaning and rubbing my bloated tummy. I think I ate enough to feed a small country. Ugh. Tegan pokes me in the stomach, making me groan some more and I whack her in the face with one of our spare pillows. That ought to teach her.

"Heeey," she whines, smoothing her hair back out. She looks so cute when she pouts. I sit up, wanting to kiss her, then remember where I am. I pull her into a quick hug instead before hopping off the bed to grab my pajamas and toothbrush and head into the bathroom.

Tegan follows after me and by ten o'clock it's lights out and we're all in bed. Tegan's lying on her side, facing away from me and towards the window, giving me the option to be big spoon, which I gladly take. She's a little stiff, still uncomfortable with the idea, but after a few silent kisses to her shoulder and the back of her neck, she loosens up, linking her fingers with mine over her stomach. I whisper goodnight and quickly fall into a peaceful sleep.

**Tegan's POV**

I wake up with Sara practically smothering me. I'm usually the one that's more clingy on the rare chance we're sleeping in a bed together but I'm glad it's her this time. That means she'll get the brunt of the teasing. She handles it better anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I love Bruce. He's like a father to me, but sometimes I still feel weird living with Sara's family. It's like they're too perfect. I've never heard any of them argue with the other, and even though Sara has shaped up since she met me, she never gets anymore than a slap on the wrist when she does screw up. I don't know if this is how all normal families act, but I'm glad I get to experience this.

I peek over at the other bed, noticing that Bruce and Sonia are gone. They probably went to go eat breakfast. I take the time to wake Sara up how I like to; by blowing on her face gently to watch her nose twitch until she scrunches her whole face up in the most adorable way before squinting her eyes open and pushing me away, completely annoyed.

"Unnghhh," Sara groans, furrowing her brow.

I start to laugh. She also makes the weirdest sounds when she's waking up. It's kind of like a tiny dinosaur. I blow harder and she rolls away, kicking back at me with her feet. "You're so annoying in the morning."

"I'm saving us from your dad's mocking. You'll thank me later." I say, throwing the sheets off from us.

Sara curls into a ball, and reaching out blindly for the sheets, she makes some more strange grumbles before giving up and sitting up, dangling her feet off the side of the bed. I hug her from behind and kiss the mess of hair on her head.

"I know we haven't even really seen the city yet, but it feels different being here, doesn't it?" I ask.

"Yeah, it feels good. It feels ..right." Sara says.

I turn Sara's face towards me and kiss her properly until we hear the door being messed with. I climb off the bed and grab my outfit for the day. I quickly shower and do my hair, making myself look as nice yet as casual as possible. Sara's tying her shoes when I get out, all ready for the day. She runs her fingers through her hair, messing it up, or as she likes to call styling it.

"My little grease ball." I pat her head as I walk by.

She swats at me but I duck away just in time and chuckle smugly. I've won for now but I know she'll get her revenge later.

Once I have my shoes on and everything gathered, all of us head down to the lobby so Sara and I can grab a quick breakfast then it's off to the campus. It's only a ten minute walk and as we're getting closer, I really start to feel the nerves setting in. I can't believe this is all really happening. Never in a million years did I picture this would be me life. I had it in my head that I would go to school for something pointless, join a sorority, settle down with a rich, religious boy, and spend my life being the mother of his children and raising them. I'm so glad Sara was so close to flunking out of high school. Sometimes it pays to be a little bad.

Sara clears her throat and I come back to earth, smiling at her weakly. She holds my hand while we walk down the sidewalk, squeezing it every so often for reassurance. I hold the door open when we get to the main building and Bruce and Sonia both squeeze my shoulders. I guess I just look that nervous.

We meet up with a man who works in admissions and he takes us around the entire school, giving us a tour. By the time we get to the last bit of the tour, the hockey rink, I feel nauseous over all the information I was just given. It's so overwhelming.

The arena is huge. At least four times bigger than the one at Crescent Heights. Blue and gold is littered everywhere, along with the Thunderbird mascot. So fucking awesome.

Sara throws her arms around me from behind, enveloping me in a gigantic bear hug. She kisses my cheek over and over in the same spot. "Tee, this is so exciting!"

I smile and nod. I've never been so speechless from happiness before. If I manage to work my way up to starting center for this team, nothing will ever bring me down.

"You must be Tegan Quin." A tall, older man says, walking up to me. Sara lets me go and I shake his hand, smiling politely.

"Yes, sir." I reply.

"I'm Coach Thomas, head of the girl's hockey here at UBC. I've heard impressive things about you. This must be your parents and sister?" He gestures behind me to everyone smiling, clearly proud of me.

I hear Sara giggle and turn around, shooting her a look.

"Actually this is my girlfriend, Sara, and her parents Bruce and Sonia." I correct him. "I live with them, they're like my family.

"Alternative. I like it." He nods, shaking everyone's hands.

We then set off on a tour of the arena. There's so much to it, I don't think I'll ever learn my way around it. It's a lot nicer than any I've ever played in, and I can't wait to actually play in it. And I _really _can't wait to look out and see Sara in the crowd, wearing one of my spare jerseys and cheering me on.

We finally get to the last room: the actual rink. My hands start to shake and my heart races just by being in there and hearing the sound of blades racing around the ice. It's like the soothing sound of the tide rolling in, but better and more exhilarating.

We walk into the bench area and Coach Thomas talks loudly over the sounds. "We take our hockey very seriously here and we practice all year round to keep our minds in the right mindset and shape. It's hard, sweaty work and not every one is capable of it. I'm hoping you won't be one of them."

I look out onto the rink and gulp. I'm willing to do the work and I know I can do it, but it's still nerve wracking. All of the girls, except one, are practically twice my size, which I was used to, but these are the best of the best. They could easily squish me like a bug.

Coach Thomas blows his whistle, making us all wince, and the group of girls skate over. They all stare down at me, eyeing me up like a piece of fresh meat. Talk about intimidating.

"Alright, another shortie!" A girl who looks even shorter than me skates to the front, removes her glove, and sticks her hand out. "I'm Lindsey but I go by LB."

"Hi." I reply shyly, shaking her hand. It seems to last a little longer than normal and I feel Sara's hand come to rest on the small of my back protectively. I let go of the girl's hand and look around awkwardly.

Finally Coach speaks up. "Tegan was the center for her high school team and led them to win the national championship last year.

I feel myself flush and look down to my feet. I hate being singled out and praised.

"Why don't you show us what you're made of?" A girl with long blonde hair challenges, giving me a scowl. I guess I now know who the center here is.

"Oh. I don't have my skates with me." I mutter.

"You can wear a pair of mine. I'm sure we're close to the same size." The petite girl, LB, pipes up, pointing to a corner of the bench area. "Blue duffle bag over there, big pocket."

I inwardly groan, cursing this LB girl, and make my way to the beach, pulling out the spare pair of skates from her bag. Sara sits down next to me, telling me not to be nervous and to kick some ass while I lace the skates up. Making sure they're tight enough, I make my way onto the ice and make a few circles, getting used to it after months of not skating and barely working out.

"Here, you can borrow my stick too." LB says, offering it to me.

I smile goofily at her words, glancing at Sara.

"That's what she said." She mouths and winks at me.

I chuckle breathlessly and look back to LB. "Thanks," I say, taking it and following the blonde girl to the center of the rink. She tosses the puck on the ground and moves it in place. A few other girls take their places around us. I take a deep breath and glance once more at Sara giving me a thumbs up. I feel my heart slow down a bit. I can do this.

Blonde girl counts down from three and we go through the ritual of hitting our sticks together twice before attacking the puck. My stick comes into contact with it first, knocking it forward to the girl to my right. She smiles at me and speeds off. I smile back at her then wipe it away when I see the blonde girl trying to turn me to stone with the glare she's giving me. It must suck to be shown up by the newbie.

I skate around her and towards the goal, where the puck is handed off to me. I decide to show off a little, crouching down and speeding off as fast as I can, racing around everyone coming after me, take a sharp turn behind the goal and sneak back up on it, slapping the puck right into the goal, between the goalie's legs.

Sara whistles loudly, looking at me in amazement. I forgot she's only seen me play once before, and it wasn't exactly a good experience. Coach claps, grinning like he just won the lottery, and waves us all over.

He ushers me into the bench area and claps me on the back. "Now that's how you make a first impression! Welcome to the team Tegan! We look forward to you joining us next month." He shakes my hand once again, harder this time. "If you'll come with me we'll get you all set up for your gear so it's ready when you get here."

I nod and say goodbye to the rest of the team. Most of them are friendly and say they can't wait for me to join them and stuff like that. Overall I feel pretty good about everything. It's such a relief. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I follow Coach into his office and we fill out a new order form. There's a lot more stuff than what I needed in high school. More padding, more expensive equipment, and practice uniforms. Mostly I'm just excited about having my name on a jersey now. It makes it feel more real, like I can actually spend my life doing this. I make sure to get an extra small jersey for Sara then add the total up.

Coach looks everything over to double check, files it away, and shakes all of our hands one final time then excuses himself back to the team.

We all head back outside and Bruce punches me lightly in the shoulder. "You looked like a real pro out there, kiddo."

"Oh we're all just so proud of you Tegan." Sonia pulls me into one of her motherly hugs and Bruce and Sara join in, all suffocating me. It makes me feel so good despite the fact I can hardly breathe.

Sara pulls away first and pats her belly. "Let's go get food."

At the mention of food my stomach begins to growl. I check the time. Almost five o'clock. Wow, the day went by fast. I'm kind of sad the tour's over. I want to explore more and find out more about different classes. I'll probably just end up taking my generals the first year though and maybe a music class or two.

"What do you want to eat, Tegan? Your choice." Sonia says.

"Uhmm.." I shrug. "I don't know, a hamburger?"

**Sara's POV**

We set off on a search to find a Bar and Grill and stumble upon the dorm Tegan will be living in. Well, kind of living in.

"Hey, look." I nudge her with my elbow and she stops, looking up. "It's your future home."

Tegan smiles then shakes her head. "My home is where you are."

Awe. What a sweetie. I take her chin between my thumb and pointer finger, pulling her in for a quick kiss while my parents carry on ahead. I cock my head to the side, where there's a small alley between two dorm buildings, and smirk. "Ya know I thought you looked so sexy showing off in that rink. I'm so wet for you right now, Tee. Wanna go in the alley and get it on since that's how seem to like it?"

"Sara!" Tegan turns the darkest shade of red humanly possible and clamps her hand over my mouth, shutting me up. I start to laugh and lick her palm, making her pull away, wiping her hand on her jeans in disgust.

"So it's true then, my girlfriend is an exhibitionist? Lucky me."

Tegan huffs and stomps away towards my parents, waiting for us at the cross walk. I start laughing again, getting strange looks as I catch up. I just wanted to find out if my thinking was right and Tegan's kink, or at least one of them, was having sex in public. I'm glad to know it appears as though I was right based on her reaction. I'm definitely down for trying a few things.

I catch up and we turn the corner into a dimly lit Irish pub. We all order a different type of hamburger. Personally I like mine smothered in barbecue sauce. Of course Tegan gets one that somehow manages to be healthy with avocado or some weird shit on it. Dad even offers to let us each have a beer and to my surprise, Tegan accepts.

We eat quickly and silently, stuffing our faces until we're full, and before I know it I'm helping a stumbling Tegan walk back to the hotel. Lightweight.

We're all laughing at her and she joins in, thinking we're all laughing _with _her. We make it back to the room and Tegan sits down on our bed with a silly gummy smile on her face.

My parents excuse themselves to the hotel bar, leaving Tegan and I alone. I sit down next to her and she turns to me, taking my hand.

"I feel really good, Sare." She says with a hiccup.

I laugh and throw my arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer so I can feel her breath on my face. "Yeah? Wanna do it? My parents might catch us." I tease.

"Shut up." Tegan says, pushing me away from her. "You're into weird shit too."

I giggle, raising an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Like what?"

She furrows her brow and makes a cute thinking face, trying to come up with an answer. Finally she settles on something. "You constantly spank me every chance you get."

"That's not weird!" I burst into laughter, clutching my side. "I just like the way your ass jiggles when I do it."

"Oh my god!" Tegan drops her jaw, making me laugh harder.

"Wanna see?" I ask suggestively.

She shrugs, but smiles. Of course she wants to see. That's my girl. I lead her over to the full length mirror and tug her jeans down to her knees roughly, along with her bikini cut panties. She folds her hands in front of her and looks at me in the mirror, then slowly down her body until she's staring at her plump ass.

I smooth my palm over the smooth skin and take as much of a handful as I can, squeezing a few times, making sure to leave my mark with my fingertips. Tegan bites her lip but doesn't take her eyes off her ass. I watch her face as I pull my hand back. She looks terrified, but excited, getting more turned on by the second. I bring my hand to her ass with a loud smack and she whimpers, biting her lip harder.

I feel myself pool between my legs. I could watch that face all day.

"Do you see why I like it?" I ask huskily into her ear.

She nods then hastily turns around, picking me up and carrying me to the bed, throwing me down on it and climbing on top of me. My hands latch onto her ass cheeks, pulling up and out. Her scent drifts into my nostrils and I moan into her mouth as she swirls her tongue around mine.

I drift my hand lower, then hear a noise. Tegan barely has time to get her jeans pulled back up around her hips when my parents walk in.


	27. Last Nights and Stacy

**A/N: **I know you're not supposed to publish anything you're not proud of and I am sorry for doing so. I'm at a weird part in the story where I don't know how to make things exciting without skipping ahead months so bear with me through this awful, short boring chapter. To make up for it I'll be updating again either later today or tomorrow and I promise things will get more exciting. Thank you for reading! -PB

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**Sara's POV**

I idly pick at a crumbling part of the stoop and stare out at the front yard. It's our last night in Calgary, and after a surprise going away party, I finally feel all of it start to sink in. Admittedly, I'm a little nervous, but it doesn't even compare to how excited and ready I am for this journey with Tegan to start.

Her truck is all packed up with boxes and furniture, ready to be moved into our apartment. We were lucky enough to find a place only a five minute walk from her dorm, and if I get the job at this neat little coffee shop I applied to, it'll be right between her dorm and the apartment. Things really couldn't have worked out better.

"I love you." Tegan says from behind me, kissing the crown of my head.

I smile and kiss her forearm, wrapped around my neck, and lean back into her front. "You too, Tee."

Tegan gently grabs ahold of my chin, turning me to face her, and kisses me softly on the lips.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" I slowly open my eyes and look at her.

"There are no words, Sare. I am just..." Tegan sighs, resting her cheek on the top of my head. "Yep, no words."

"I know how you feel." I say, tracing random circles across her skin.

My eyes flutter shut again and we just sit there, listening to nature carry on around us. I'm going to miss falling asleep to the wind blowing through the trees outside my window and the frogs croaking in the creek out back, but I'm trading it in for something better. The bustling cars outside the window and Tegan's light snores in my ears will be the most relaxing lullaby I'll ever find.

The sounds of a car pulling up and Tegan shifting behind me stirs me from my thoughts. I peek through my eyelids and see a black car parked in front of the mailbox that I haven't seen in months. Stacy. My chest tightens and that day in the bathroom comes flooding in.

I look up at Tegan and she looks just as confused and worried as I feel. I pull her arms tighter around me and snuggle back as far as I can go. As much as I hate it, I don't trust Stacy anymore and I know Tegan will keep me safe from anything.

Stacy gets out of her car and pushes her sunglasses up her forehead, slowly walking over to us. She stops a few feet away and smiles, crossing her arms. "Hey."

"Hi." Tegan and I both say at the same time.

There's an awkward moment of silence as Stacy takes in her surroundings. Mainly, Tegan's truck. She uncrosses her arms and rubs a finger over the bridge of her nose, still covered with a bit of yellow bruising. She lets out a tired breath, asking, "So you're really going?"

"Uh huh." I nod. "Tomorrow morning."

"Oh." Stacy mumbles, switching her weight from one leg to the other. She looks to the ground, fidgeting with her keys.

Another awkward moment passes. "Did you want something?" I try to ask as politely as possible.

"I uhm, I just wanted to apologize to the both of you. I guess I let my jealousy consume me and I should have realized that if Sara ever really wanted me, she would have been with my years ago. I'm sorry I kissed you Sara, and that I was such a bitch to you Tegan. You guys really are great together and if you're happy with each other then that should be good enough for me, right?" Stacy says, shaking her head and looking up to the sky, blinking back tears.

I soften up a little and Tegan relaxes her arms around me a bit. It's hard for Stacy to admit when she's wrong so I know she's at least being somewhat sincere in her apology. I know better to know she's completely changed though. Mum was always right, Stacy is sneaky. Manipulative, even.

"I hope so, Stace. I lost my best friend and it really sucked. It still sucks." I sigh, shrugging my shoulders.

"You were always with her." She whines.

Just like that, I'm annoyed with her again. If she would have opened her eyes to how she was acting, and shaped up, I would have happily made the time for her. I shift out of Tegan's embrace and stand, pacing around the short width of the path up to the house. "I couldn't hang out with you with how you were acting. It really hurt the way you were treating Tegan. You knew how big of a crush I had on her and every time you'd tell me she wasn't into me it made me feel like shit, and even still after we got together. . . God Stacy. . . It was like you were completely absorbed in my relationship and where it was going. Does it make you feel better to know Tegan and I have had sex now? She's really gay, believe me." I scoff and throw my hands up in the air. Stacy continues to stare at the ground, hunched in on herself.

I feel Tegan's arms wrap around my waist and she sways us back and forth, hushing in my ear, "Sara, hey, it's okay."

Like always, I relax almost instantly under her touch. I turn to Stacy, turning my palms up. "Sorry. This whole thing was just stupid."

"That's why I came to apologize. I want us to put this all behind us and be okay and Tegan, maybe we could even be friends, if you'd like." Stacy says quietly.

I'm reluctant to forgive her. I can't risk her putting us through what she did again.

"Yeah, okay." Tegan speaks up, alerting me. I turn to protest but Tegan gives me a look, shutting me up. "Just remember I'm capable of breaking more than your nose if you ever touch Sara again."

Stacy's eyes widen for a second and she touches her nose again. She lets out a sigh and turns her palms up in defeat. It's as good as she's going to get. She motions between all of us, asking, "So we're good then?"

"Yeah." I say.

Tegan nods with a friendly smile and we all hug. Stacy tells me she'll miss me and that hopefully she can visit. I quietly agree and watch her walk back to her car, then drive off. I watch her until she's out of sight then take my place back on the stoop. I rest my chin in my palm, deep in thought. I don't really know how I feel about how that all just went. I guess I do feel a little better knowing I'm leaving on good terms with her. Maybe it would be better to rebuild our friendship at a distance.

Tegan sits down next to me and starts scratching my back, relaxing me even more. I turn to her and she turns to me, sensing my gaze.

"Why did you let it go just like that?" I ask.

"There's going to be eight hundred miles between us. I don't think we'll see much of her. Besides, did you see her face when I said I could break more than her nose?" Tegan says with a proud smile.

"I like it when you get all protective." I chuckle, wiggling my arm between Tegan's legs and resting my head on her shoulder.

"I don't like people touching what's mine." Tegan says, moving her hand to my arm and pulling me tightly against her. I smile, nuzzling my cheek into her shoulder. She makes me feel so safe.

"You think you own me, huh?" I look up into her eyes and ask.

"Your bed is in my truck. What do you think?" Tegan says cheekily, giving me a smug look.

I nudge her away and get to my feet, uttering, "We'll see how long you survive in my bed." I open the front door and wait for Tegan to follow me in. I'll show her who owns who.

Tegan scrambles to her feet and we walk into the living room. My parents are sitting in their respective chairs and watching something on TV. They smile at us, but they both look sad. I'm going to miss them so much. I walk into the kitchen and Tegan and I dish ourselves one last piece of ice cream cake and join my parents. We don't talk about tomorrow or about saying goodbye. There's time for that later and we just enjoy the feeling of our little family one last time.

It's late by the time all of us head to bed. Tegan and I brush our teeth together and head into her room where there's still a bed. We change into our pajamas and neatly fold our clothes from today and set them aside to wear for the long drive tomorrow.

Tegan crawls into bed and faces the wall. I turn the light off and crawl in behind her. I slide my arm around her middle and she grabs it tightly, moving it up to her heart. My palm rests flatly against her chest, feeling every rapid heart beat.

I kiss her behind the ear and whisper, "Me too, Tee."


	28. Goodbyes and A New Home

**Tegan's POV**

I knew saying goodbye would be hard, but not quite this hard. They may not have raised me, but Bruce and Sonia took me in when I needed them and Sara most. It truly feels like they're my real parents. I owe them so much and I can't help but feel a little guilty that I'm tearing Sara away from them. The only thing I have to comfort me is knowing that Casey, Sara's sister, is in Vancouver too. I promise myself that one day I'll repay them for all they've done for me.

Sara hugs Bruce tightly once more and a hysterical Sonia wraps her arms around me, littering the top of my head with kisses.

"Keep an eye on Sara, and yourself too. And call the second you arrive, alright Dear?" Sonia whispers in my ear.

I nod, sniffling, and pull away. I join Sara in the truck, waving a final time, and pull out of the driveway. Sara wipes her eyes with balled up fists and scoots over to the middle. I grab her hand and squeeze.

"Is it okay if we make a couple quick stops first?" I ask.

"Sure." Sara nods, wrapping her other hand around our already connected ones.

I take a left at the next set of traffic lights and in a few minutes pull up to the cemetery. I knew Sara would want to say goodbye to one more person. She smiles sadly, kisses me on the cheek, and reaches for the handle on her door.

I hesitate, leaving the truck in park. "Do you want me to join you?" I ask.

"Please," is all Sara says, hopping out.

With my hand in hers, Sara leads me to her grandma's grave. I sit down on the grass and she settles into my lap. I wrap my arms around her middle and rest my cheek between her shoulder blades. It takes a few minutes, but eventually Sara starts talking, her voice shaky. She's already begun crying again. I don't say anything, just hold her while she gets everything out.

At some point I start crying again too and after awhile, Sara grabs my hand and asks if I want to add anything. I want to say no, but do it for Sara's sake. I don't say much. I promise her grandma that I'll always take care of Sara and love her with everything I have, and if she's watching from above, I promise I won't let her down and I'm sorry in advance for anything she might see us doing.

Sara chuckles and kisses me softly, her way of saying thanks. We leave hand in hand.

I drive over to the dock next and Sara can't get out of the truck fast enough. I catch up to her and sit down. She takes my hand and runs the pad of her thumb over the back of my hand.

"I'm really going to miss this place." Sara says, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

"I know, I will too, but we'll find a new spot."

"Promise?" She asks, giving me with a desperate look.

"I pinky swear." I stick my little finger out and Sara curls her own around it, making it official.

We share a smile and I lean into kiss her. She kisses back with all of her love and lays me on my back. She rolls her body on top of mine, and holds my waist. I wrap my arms around the small of her back under her shirt and trail my fingertips along her skin, loving being able to feel the goosebumps as they rise from my touch.

We make out until a car honks obnoxiously nearby. Sara tries to ignore it, kissing me harder, but I pull away and look behind me. A big truck with an even bigger boat attached is waiting impatiently for us to move.

Sara giggles and helps me up. We make a dash for my truck, avoiding the man's hateful glare and finally hit the road.

We crank our favorite Florence songs and dance to the beat to make the hours pass.

**Sara's POV**

I wake up to Tegan shaking me and telling me we're here. I look out the window and smile. Our new home. I grab my backpack and a duffel bag and Tegan grabs a box from back, stacking another on top of it. I don't think I could love her muscles more than I already do.

I unlock the main door and shuffle tiredly down the hall to door 7a. Tegan bounces from foot to foot behind me, telling me to hurry. I get the door open and a wave of happiness rushes over me. I drop my bags to the floor and tackle Tegan while she's still in mid crouch, setting the boxes down and we crash down on the hardwood floor.

"Thank you so much," I whisper, burying my face in her neck.

"For what?" Tegan asks, chuckling slightly over my sudden burst of emotion.

"For not being scared and falling in love with me." I sniffle.

Tegan lifts my head and kisses me hard, taking my breath away. Her lips move across mine lovingly and I can't help but smile. She kisses my teeth and laughs. I sit up a bit and shake my head, trying to get my hair out of the way. Tegan leans up on an elbow and tucks the loose strands away.

"You need a haircut." She says.

"You don't like it?" I grin, messing up my hair some more.

Tegan rolls her eyes and again pushes my bangs back. "They hide your pretty eyes."

I smile, give her nose a kiss, and hop back to my feet. There's plenty of time for fun and mushiness later. I hold my hand out and help Tegan up, dragging her out the door. There's a lot left to be unpacked.

It takes an exhausting hour but everything is now inside. The living room is a maze of boxes. I was sensible enough to label and organize everything. The only thing I didn't have control over are the boxes left near the door. Tegan went through her things by herself to decide what she wanted to take to her dorm room tomorrow. She wants to spend most of her time here, so there's not much.

"Where do we start?" I put my hands on my hips and look around.

"Bed." Tegan says without a second thought.

I chuckle and follow her into our spacious bedroom. The bed lies in pieces all over the floor. I groan, then remember something Dad told me before we left.

"Wait." I say, walking back into the living room and hoisting the large unmarked box into my arms. I carry it back into the bedroom and Tegan helps me set it back down.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Not sure. Dad said it was a housewarming gift and we would need it for the bed." I bend down and start opening the flaps.

Tegan crouches down next to me and scrunches her nose. "I'm not sure I want to know what it is."

I giggle, letting my mind join Tegan's in the gutter. Dad wouldn't give us anything like _that_. . . I _think_.

We scoop the packing peanuts out and burst into laughter, peeking inside. Tegan lifts the bright pink tool belt out and shakes her head.

"Your dad is obnoxious." Tegan chuckles.

I agree and lift out the rather sizable toolbox, also pink. I undo the snaps and open it up. Even the tools are pink. Ridiculous, but also sensible and handy. Every good home needs a decent set of tools. I grab the hammer, knowing we'll need that for the bed frame.

Tegan stands up and hooks the tool belt around her hips snugly, laughing to herself.

"Thank you, Dad." I mumble, eyeing her up and down. She looks so sexy.

I forget all about putting the bed together and grab the hem of her shirt and pull it off roughly, leaving her in just her wife beater. She's already sticky with sweat from hauling everything in and the white material is bunched around her midsection, giving me an incredible view of her abs. My mouth starts to water, and the wetness starts to pool between my legs. Tegan still giggles over the sight of her in a pink tool belt.

I grab a handle on the mattress and jerk it down. It lands with a soft thud, tearing Tegan's attention away from herself. She stops laughing and looks into my hungry eyes. Before she can blink I throw her down on the mattress and jump on top of her, pinning her wrists down with one hand. My other hand dips into her jeans, rubbing her over her underwear.

I flash her a devilish grin and dip my head down, whispering hotly in her ear, "Did you forget I get to fuck you as loud and rough as I want now? You're mine, Tegan Quin."

A whiny whimper escapes her and I look into her eyes, making sure she's comfortable with what we're about to do. There's nothing but hunger in her eyes. She wants this. Bad.

I add more pressure and rub her harder. Her eyelids start to flutter and she manages to break a hand free. Her hand flies to the button of her jeans and struggles to get it open. I push her hand away and do it myself. I lean back on my heels and tug, forcing her hips up, and her tight jeans are off in a second, leaving the tool belt loose around her belly. Her hips bounce back onto the mattress and she's breathing heavily, struggling to swallow gasps of oxygen.

I start dragging my nails along her legs, enjoying the way she writhes under my touch. Her fingers grasp at nothing but air and she pleads with me to touch her. I shake my head. As much as I want to take her, I want to take this in a different direction.

"Lift your tank up." I tell her.

She does so without question, bunching it up above her chest. Her stiff nipples poke against her sports bra and my fingers itch to roll them between them, but I want to see her do it.

"Play with them." I order.

She looks up at me, hesitancy in her eyes. I nod encouragingly, letting her know it's alright. She shuts her eyes and palms herself slowly, tweaking the hardened buds every now and again. Little by little, she's working herself into a puddle.

I continue to caress her legs, admiring the view.

"You know how much I appreciate and love your body, and I want you to know what it's like for me." I say softly.

** Tegan's POV**

My eyebrows crease and I look at Sara questioningly. I've never done this before. I've never touched myself like this. When she looked at me with that animalistic, raw hunger in her eyes I thought I would be a screaming mess by now. I expected to be covered in scratches and for Sara to be tenderly kissing the slowly forming bruises, but I think I get what her purpose is. She wants me to know what it's like for her when she's with me. She wants me to learn how to love myself like she loves me. My heart skips a beat and I wait for further instructions.

"Rub your clit." She says, taking hold of my ankles and spreading me a bit more. The smell of my sex fills my nostrils and I know Sara smells it too. Her grip on me gets a little tighter and her lips press into a thin line.

My lips twitch into a small smile and I move to shimmy out of my panties. I'll do anything to make Sara happy.

"Keep them on." She instructs and I stop. I feel myself blush but continue to stare into her dilated pupils while I apply pressure to myself with my middle and ring finger.

Sara licks her lips, collecting the drool that's desperately wanting to spill. I didn't think it would such a turn on to watch Sara watch me. I continue circling my clit, making myself wetter by the second. My fingertips become soaked and I can tell by the look on Sara's face that I've completely seeped through my panties.

Sara shakes her head and waves her hand at me, saying, "Take them off."

I chuckle to myself and do what she says, rolling the thin material down my legs and tossing them to the side. I stop playing with my nipples and rub my clit instead so I can pump steadily in and out of myself with my other hand. "Holy shit," I moan, bucking my hips up involuntarily. Out of the corner of my eye I see Sara slip her hand into her own shorts but I'm too focused on myself right now. That's what Sara wants anyway.

I throw my head back and to the side, gulping for breaths of air as I start to pulse around my fingers. It's not like anything I've ever felt before. Not even like touching Sara. I'm getting the best of both worlds right now.

My hair sticks to my face with sweat and Sara kisses the bottom of foot, up my ankle, and I fall apart, spilling down my ass and onto the mattress, crying out.

** Sara's POV**

I bite my lip hard as my own orgasm takes me over, hunching me over as I shudder. I lick my lips and take a deep breath, crawling up her body, kissing everywhere as I go.

I kiss Tegan on the lips and she runs her fingers through my hair, gripping and holding my head in place. She slips her tongue into my mouth, rolling it around with mine, and I smile. I was afraid she would be mad at what I had done, given she's never touched herself like that before, but she seems to be rather pleased.

I cup her jaw and her legs wrap around mine. She slowly pulls away and I watch her lips pull into a wicked smile.

"So when do I get to watch you?"


	29. Meeting Emy and Tegan's Punishment

**Sara's POV**

"Don't be so nervous, Babe." I back into the door of Tegan's dorm backwards, my arms full with a stack of Tegan's clothes and let Tegan pass through.

"But what if we don't get along?" She looks over her shoulder, chewing her lip nervously. She readjusts the boxes in her hold and starts up the stairs.

"That's ridiculous." I say, following her up the stairs. "Give me one good reason why she wouldn't like you."

There's complete silence on Tegan's end. She starts climbing up the stairs faster.

"Exactly!" I call out, panting and struggling to keep up with her.

I catch up, walking out into the hall of the second floor. Tegan's leaning against the wall outside her room, waiting for me. I stop in front of her and roll my eyes.

"Really?"

"What? My hands are full." She says innocently, though she's anything but.

I shake my head and dig for her room key in her pocket, making sure to pinch her while my hand is buried and unlock her door. I see who I can only assume is Emy sitting at a desk and nudge Tegan into the room. She stumbles in and Emy lifts her head, smiling warmly.

"Hi!" She says, hopping up from her chair and rushing over to help Tegan set her things down. They dump everything onto the bare mattress and I add to it, dropping all of the clothes.

"You must be Tegan," Emy points to Tegan and then to me. "And you're Sara."

"Yep. It's nice to meet you." I say, offering my hand for her to shake. She glances at it quickly then pulls me into a hug. Well okay. I guess it's better for her to be overly friendly than not friendly at all. I hug her back then stand next to Tegan.

"Hi." Tegan says quietly.

I pinch her again in the side and she jerks, shooting me a glare. I shoot her a glare back, tilting my head towards Emy. Emy starts to laugh and Tegan turns a shade of red not even I could cause.

"You two are even more adorable in person." Emy smiles, pulling Tegan in for a hug.

They part and an awkward silence falls around the room. I want to yell at Tegan to stop being such a dork and act normal but that would just make things worse.

"So have you been moved in for a while?" I ask, starting the conversation for Tegan.

"Since yesterday. Technically it wasn't aloud but it was the only time my parents could get off work. Speaking of..." Emy trails off, wandering over to her closet. She grabs a small bag and hands it to Tegan. "My mom read over your packet and since she knits like a crazy person she made you some wool socks for hockey."

I watch Tegan pull the socks out and smile. They're thick and a deep navy blue, with her initials towards the top in gold, just like the Thunderbird way. How adorable is that?

"These are awesome! Please tell her thank you for me." Tegan gushes, loosening up a bit.

"Will do, but I'll warn you that she'll probably end up just making you something else." Emy laughs.

Tegan adds them to the pile and we excuse ourselves to go get the rest of Tegan things. It only takes two more trips until everything is inside. I start hanging up all of Tegan's clothes while she unpacks her school things. We decided it would be best if she stuck to doing her homework here considering how distracting I'll be.

Emy helps out here and there, and we make small talk. So far she seems really nice and like we'll all be great friends. At some point the conversation steers towards classes and school in general. I let them talk, slowly removing myself from the conversation and by the time we're all done putting things away and decorating, Tegan's acting like her normal self.

"Since the dining hall doesn't open until tomorrow I was going to order a pizza, if you guys want to join in?" Emy asks, pulling up a couple menus on her computer.

"I should actually get going. I have an interview tomorrow and I really don't want to blow it by being late or something." I say, looking around for my shoes.

"Oh, okay." Tegan says, disappointed. She gets off her bed and starts looking for her own shoes.

"Oh no, you're staying here, Tee." I pull her back onto the bed with a bounce.

"What?" She asks under her breath.

I smile at Emy, excusing us, and pull Tegan towards the door. I tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her on the cheek.

"You're doing great with Emy and we both have busy days tomorrow. I think you should stay here tonight and get settled in. Order pizza, watch a movie, play some video games, and be friends with her."

"Well can't you stay too? I don't think Emy will mind." Tegan whispers, giving me puppy dog eyes.

I shake my head and grab her hand, pulling her closer.

"At least let me drive you home." Tegan offers.

I smile and shake my head again. I know Tegan too well. She would walk me to the door and flash me that gummy smile before kissing me. She would take the kiss further, distracting me, and back us up into the apartment, quietly shutting the door behind her. Before I would realize what's happened, I would be ridding her of her clothes in the bedroom.

"It's a ten minute walk. I'll be fine. You can talk to me on the phone until I'm home safe, okay?"

"Fine." She gives in with a disgruntled sigh and starts unzipping my hoodie, sliding it off my shoulders. She bunches it in her arms and grabs one of her own from the closet, handing it to me.

I slip it on and zip it all the way up, pulling the hood up too. Her scent engulfs me and I have to steady myself against the wall. After last night, I've been aching for her but there hasn't been time.

She grins at me, knowing exactly what she's doing and puts my hoodie on, snuggling into it. She reaches out for me and pulls me into a tight hug. She starts kissing me tenderly, holding the back of my neck. I hold her waist and pull her hips into mine, subtly grinding against her. She lets out a little whine that only I can hear but it's a sign that she's going to get louder any moment. I remember we have an audience and reluctantly pull away.

I peck Tegan on the nose and take my phone of my pocket, dialing her number and backing out of the door with a smile.

**Tegan's POV**

I tell Sara I love her and miss her already then hang up. Emy's still waiting on me about the pizza and I step up behind her, taking a look at her screen. She already has the order filled out with a simple cheese pizza and cinnamon sticks.

"Looks good." I tell her and she clicks the order button.

"Wanna play some video games? I brought my Play Station." Emy spins around in her chair and grins at me.

"Sure." I say.

She sets everything up and pops in a racing game. She hands me a controller and joins me on my bed, starting the game. I'm a complete wreck, running into every obstacle and car possible. Emy's taunting is relentless as she laps me. I nudge her in the arm and she spins out, falling into second place.

I giggle, wishing Sara was here. She's a much better gamer than I am and would be having a blast, defending my honor. The race ends and I pick up my phone, intending to send Sara a text. I remember what she told me on the phone and set it back down.

Emy picks a new track and we start a new race. I still suck. Halfway through Emy's phone rings and she runs downstairs to grab the food.

I pay for my half and we stuff our faces while chatting, getting to know each other more.

"How long have you and Sara been togethers?" Emy asks.

"About eight months." I answer. I can't believe it's only been that long and that we've been through so much.

"Are ya gonna get married?" She teases, giggling and catching a piece of stringy teeth with her tongue.

"I don't know." I shrug and feel myself blush. If Sara told me tomorrow she wanted to get hitched, I would do it in a heartbeat. That girl is my soulmate. There is no doubt in my mind. I don't want to tell Emy though, in case she mentions it to Sara.

"Are you seeing anyone?" I ask.

"Not anymore." Emy shakes her head sadly. "We broke up because she wanted to stay in New York and I didn't. I didn't want to do long distance and I couldn't see myself marrying her so I ended it."

I squeeze her shoulder comfortingly and frown. "I'm sorry Emy. I can't imagine if Sara hadn't moved with me. Honestly I probably wouldn't have came.

Emy smiles shakily and we drop the subject. I make a note in the back of my mind that Sara and I should find someone for her. We move on to lighter things and playing games until we're both exhausted. We get ready for bed and say goodnight.

I face the cold, concrete wall and stare at it. I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep without Sara. I wasn't used to sharing a bed with her every night yet but I was accustomed to having her just down the hall. She seems a world away now.

I roll over and listen to Emy, already breathing deeply. I sigh and close my eyes, counting the sheep as they jump across my mind. _1. . 2. . 3. . 4. . 67. . 119. . ._

I groan and sit up. This is no use. I quietly sneak out of bed and throw sweatpants and Sara's hoodie on. I grab my keys and phone and sneak out the door, locking it behind me. I runt to the apartment in the middle of the night and hurriedly let myself in. I tip toe in the bedroom and strip back down to my pajamas.

Sara's passed out, sprawled out in the middle and breathing softly, letting out little whistling snores. I smile and crawl in beside her, pulling her arm over my waist so she's spooning me. I let out a sigh of relief. I feel so much better.

Sara stirs and I tense up, hoping she won't be too angry but she lets out a happy moan and snuggles me in closer.

"You're a bad girl, Tegan Quin." She mumbles sleepily.

I giggle softly and lift her hand to my face, kissing it. I don't care what Sara says. I belong in this bed with her every night.

**Sara's POV**

I wake up groggy. I don't remember if Tegan really came last night or if it was just a dream. I sit up, rub the sleep from my eyes, and look around.

Tegan walks in, dressed in just her sports bra and boy shorts. A piece of toast smeared with peanut butter is stuck in her mouth and she carries a glass of water in her hand. Surely I must still be dreaming. No one can possibly be that perfect while simply eating breakfast.

"Morning Sare." Tegan chirps, her mouth full of food.

"C'mere," I tell her, patting my lap.

She looks at me cautiously, making her way over and sitting down sideways on my lap. I kiss her and get a small taste of peanut butter.

"You don't listen very well." I scold, rubbing her thigh. "Your ass better be here the second you're done with orientation so I can punish you, got it Babe?"

Tegan shudders, her gaze fixed on my hand running along her gently. She knows what my hands can do. She knows how ungentle they can be. She looks up at me, a mixture of fear and excitement written all over her face.

"Okay." She agrees.

"Good." I pat her bum and she gets off, finishing her breakfast and getting dressed.

I shower and get dressed for my interview. I even take the time to tame my wild hair. I gulp down a warm cup of coffee, brush my teeth, and grab my things. Tegan leads us out of the apartment and we kiss goodbye, parting separate ways.

Tegan's POV

I had never been to a more boring orientation in my life. At least I got to meet up with Coach to get set up in the locker room and pick up all of my gear. I haul it all back to my dorm and pack it away. I grab the jersey for Sara and head out. I'm a little nervous about what my punishment is going to be but knowing Sara, I'm going to enjoy it and only want more.

"Kitchen!" Sara calls out when she hears me enter the apartment.

I find her in front of the stove, stirring some kind of pasta. She sets the spoon down and pulls me into a hug.

I kiss her cheek and ask, "How was the interview?"

"You're looking at Steamies newest barista!" She smiles wide, rocking on her heels happily.

"Sara, that's great!" I hug her even tighter, lifting her slightly off the ground. I knew she would win them over just like she did with me.

"Yep. I start next week." She says, stirring the noodles some more. She gesture to my fatter than usual bag and raises a curious eyebrow. "Whatcha got in the bag?"

"Something for you." I sing out, exposing my gummy smile.

"So you think you can weasel your way out of your punishment by buying me gifts, eh?" Sara smirks.

I shrug and turn around, unzipping the bag. I pull the jersey out and unfold it, smiling at my name printed on the back. Now each time someone saw Sara wearing it, they would know she was mine. I turn back around and hold it out for her.

"It's yours." I say.

"Really?!" She squeals, running her hands over the silky material. "Oh Tee, I'm going to feel so proud when I wear this to all of your games. Thank you so much, I love it."

"You're welcome." I smile, pulling her into a deep kiss.

She pulls away and leans into my ear. "After dinner I'll put it on for you." She rasps sexily.

I feel my skin flush and gulp, nodding weakly. I'm beginning to believe I may very well die tonight from a Sara seduction.

Sara's POV

Tegan and I can't eat and clear the table fast enough. I'm already wet just thinking about touching her and I'm sure she is too. I escape to the bathroom with the jersey and take everything off but my underwear. The jersey hangs off my body, tickling my skin, and rests mid thigh. I turn around and check myself out in the mirror. I admit I look cute. Damn cute. I ruffle my hair up how Tegan likes it and saunter back into the kitchen.

"Get your ass on that table." I demand, snapping my fingers.

Startled, Tegan drops the cup in her hand. It clatters to the counter and then the floor. She quickly looks to me and her jaw drops to the floor. Her eyes move so quick across my body. She doesn't know where to look.

"Oh my God, Sare. . . You look–"

I cut her off and take a threatening step closer. "I said get your ass on that table."

Her eyes shoot to mine. She sees that I'm not messing around, scrambles to the dining room, and climbs onto the table. I chuckle at how scared she looks and stand between her open legs. Her ragged breath is loud and uneven. She won't look at me and it's an obvious struggle for her to do so.

"Look at me Tegan." I say softly.

She relaxes at the tone of my voice and peeks up at me through her eyelashes, looking innocent.

"Do you need a spanking?" I ask, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Y-Yes, Sara." She stammers, playing along.

I smile and bend her over the table, staring at her ass in her tight jeans. It's so plump, I could sink my teeth into it. I just can't get enough of it. I rub my hand over her ass, squeezing when I feel it's necessary.

Tegan turns her head to the side and watches me out of the corner of hey eye. Her back rises with each heavy breath and her eyes clamp shut when I pull my hand away. I smile and bend my body on top of hers. I kiss her cheek sweetly and she peeks her eyes open, confused.

"Is this okay?" I ask, nibbling along Tegan's jawline.

"Yeah." She smiles.

I smile back and return to full height. I crack my knuckles and bring my palm to Tegan's ass with a loud smack. She yelps and jerks forward, clawing at the tabletop. I smooth out the sting and pull Tegan up, turning her around to face me.

Her cheeks are rosy. I kiss them both and then her lips.

"I'll let you off easy this time, okay?"

"Thank you." Tegan says quietly.

I giggle and lift her back onto the table. She winces as her ass meets the surface. I consider it a little bonus to her punishment. She'll be feeling that for at least a couple days. I lay her down and straddle her, pinning her arms above her head. I lean forward and kiss her slowly, running the top of my tongue along her top lip. She eagerly lets me in, pushing back against my hand keeping her put. She moans, giving me access to her neck and I slide my hand up her shirt, filling my palm with her breast. Her nipple stiffens and I run my thumb over the bud, giving it a little pinch. She moans again and I soak through my underwear. I can't wait any longer. I have to take her now.

"Stay." I say, biting warningly at her chin and let go of her hands and lean back. I guide her shirt and bra off, tossing them aside to the floor, and giving her chest the attention it deserves.

Tegan's begging beneath me now, mumbling incomprehensible pleas. I tease her a bit more, biting and licking my way down to her navel, the tops of her jeans, the insides of her thighs, and back up. _That's _the real punishment.

I lean back and rid her of the rest of her clothes. She's a sticky, sweaty mess and I take my time admiring my work while letting her admire me in her jersey. I figure it's a fair enough situation. When I've had enough I lower myself between her legs, taking in her heady scent. It's enough to make me see stars. I run my tongue along her slit, gathering any of her wetness that's leaked through and crawl back up her body to kiss her, making sure all she can taste is herself.

I twitch inside my underwear, letting Tegan lift her head as far as she pleases to get as much as she wants. My hand creeps in to cup her mound and I rub her slowly, rolling her inner lips between my fingers. Tegan bites down on my lip and whimpers. I taste the metallic liquid as it gets caught up in our kiss. I tease her entrance then push two fingers into her and hold still, reveling in how she feels wrapped around me. She begins rolling her hips to gain some friction, and I let her slide against me.

"Fuck! Finally!" Tegan cries out, dropping her head onto the table.

I shiver. Watching Tegan concentrate on working her hips the right way to get it how she likes it drives me mad. I start pounding into her, eliciting the delicious sound of my fingers stretching her walls and pumping through her juices. She moans, one after the other after the other. I curl my fingers up, sweeping across her sweet spot. I stare into her eyes and she bites her lip, letting the waves of pleasure wash over her. I hold her as another wave crashes into her and all she can do is collapse onto the table, completely spent, a pleasant smile pulling at her lips.

"Where were you when I brought home all those A minuses?" She chuckles, thoroughly enjoying my idea of a punishment.


	30. Hockey Practice and A Massage

**A/N: **103 followers?! Holy shit you guys, thank you! :) Sorry for the slow up date! Enjoy and review!

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**Tegan's POV**

My knees buckle and I bend forward, peering down at the glossy gym floor. My head is pounding and there are little blacks spots clouding my vision, but I have to ignore it. I have to persevere. I stand up and wipe the sweat pouring down my face. My sneakers squeak against the floor as I resume jogging.

I pass two of the other noobies doubled over a trash bin, retching into it. I slow down and start gagging. I can't stand the sight or sounds of other people getting sick without getting sick myself. The protein shake I had earlier rises and I struggle to swallow it.

"Keep it down, Freshie." Lindsey says, coming up behind me.

I force it down and block out the sick sounds. Lindsey smiles at me, running backwards with ease, though she's too drenched in sweat. She grips my elbow and pulls me along with her. I slow her down a bit but I somehow survive until Coach calls us in for the day. He says we'll be back at it again tomorrow so rest up. He wasn't kidding when he said they take this sport seriously and that it is hard work.

He dismisses us and I walk with Lindsey and the rest of the team to the locker room and collapse onto a bench. I hear some of the new girls get sick again and cover my ears. Yuck.

"This is death." I grumble. I just want to go home and take a relaxing bubble bath with Sara, but she's working for another two hours. I absolutely cannot wait that long.

"You'll get used to it real quick." Lindsey chuckles, helping me up. I throw my team jacket on and my jeans over my running shorts and pack up my duffel bag slowly. Lindsey sits on the bench, waiting for me.

"There's this great smoothie place a few blocks away has these amazing energy smoothies if you wanna run there with me? We can stop and get you a tub of muscle rub at the drug store next to it too. You're going to need it, believe me." Lindsey says, walking by my side out the door.

I glance her way and she smiles, her eyes twinkling. Did she just ask me on some kind of date? I look to the ground and kick a pebble, feeling awkward.

"Oh um, my girlfriend," I make sure to put emphasis on the word, "is coming over after to work so I should probably be showered and ready for her."

"Yeah, of course. Don't want to upset your lady." She shrugs it off, chuckling. "At least let me walk you home?"

I nod and lead the way. I was going to go to the apartment but the dorm is closer. I'll just call Sara and ask her to grab some muscle rub for me and to meet me there after work. It only takes a few minutes before we're in front of the door and I start swinging my keys around my finger, waiting for Lindsey to say goodbye.

"I guess I'll see you at practice tomorrow, Freshie. Don't forget about that muscle rub, 'kay?" Lindsey says, pulling me into an awkward hug. I pat her back gently and she does the same. Both of us are sore and even such little movement makes me wince. Sara really needs to get here soon.

I wave to Lindsey as she disappears down the sidewalk and trudge up to my room. I quickly leave Sara a voicemail on her phone and grab a fresh sports bra and a clean pair of Sara's boxers and head to the bathroom for a nice, cool shower.

**Sara's POV**

I whip up a green tea smoothie, pack up a couple cupcakes in a to-go box and say goodbye to my coworkers. I leave with a smile on my face. So far, work has been great. It's pretty easy. Everyone I work with is super nice and cool. Even the customers have been a breeze to handle.

I check my voicemail, walking towards the apartment. Tegan's cute voice tells me she'll be at the dorm and if I could stop and get her some muscle rub, that would be great.

I turn around and head the other direction, ducking into the small drug store on the corner. I grab what I need, and a couple bottles of Gatorade, and walk to the dorm, dialing Tegan's number. I tell her I'm here and she tells me to go to her window. Looking up, I see her leaning slightly out of it, waving at me. She drops her keys to the grass and disappears. Was she really that lazy?

I shake my head, pick them up and let myself in, heading up to the second floor. Tegan's collapsed on her bed in nothing but a black sports bra and a pair of my boxers.

"You look rough." I ruffle her hair and set her goodies on her desk.

Tegan lets out a low groan and sits up slowly, wincing in pain. She grits her teeth, grumbling, "Remind me again why I play hockey?"

"Because it's your true love." I say, grabbing a paper plate from the cart with the microwave and setting it down on Tegan's desk, and place one of the cupcakes on top of it. I put the other one in the mini fridge for later.

"No, that's you." Tegan says under her breath, not intending for me to hear.

I look over my shoulder and smile at her, falling a little bit more in love over her rouged cheeks and shy glance. I grab her snack and plop down next to her, throwing my legs over her lap carefully. I nestle her drink between my thighs and reach up to her cheek, stroking it tenderly with the pad of my thumb. She parts her lips for me, letting me lean my head in to kiss her and show her that she's my true love.

I pull away slightly. It's just enough to let our breaths pass against each others and our lips ghost across one another tentatively, and I whisper. "Where are you sore?"

"Everywhere." She replies airily, nudging her head forward to bring my lips back to hers.

"Do you want a massage?" I murmur, kissing up to her ear.

"God, yes. That would be amazing." Tegan practically moans into my ear.

** Tegan's POV**

Sara climbs off of me and I flip onto my back, letting my heavy head sink into one of my fluffy pillows. The soreness pulsing in my muscles is so prominent right now that if Sara isn't a great masseuse, I won't even be bothered to care. But based on what I know her hands are capable of thus far, she'll leave me feeling like a million bucks.

The old mattress squeaks and Sara's weight falls onto my bottom. I groan, mostly from pain and partly from annoyance. As much of a sweetheart as Sara is, the thought of being gentle physically just flew over her head at times.

"Oh, this smells rank." Sara complains with a sniff of her nose.

I feel the cold tub on the center of my back and shiver, erupting in goosebumps. The strong, tear inducing smell wafts into my nostrils, making my crinkle my nose and cringe. It certainly isn't pleasant, but Lindsey practically swore by it and I think I can trust her.

"I'll find any excuse to touch you Tee but wow, I really hope this doesn't become a routine for the rest of your hockey career." Sara grumbles, working the gel into my skin at the top of my shoulders.

The instant it hits my skin, there is relief. Sweet, sweet relief. My moan is muffled by my pillow and my fists clench tightly around the pillow case. Sara may not want to get used to this but I certainly could.

Her fingers are like magic, working my skin as if she were a sculptor sitting before a heap of clay. My body arches and rises to meet her, craving for the loosening of my muscles. It's almost too much to handle. The pleasure mixes with the pain and I'm forced to turn my head to the side to gasp for air.

Just when I think it can't get better, Sara moves lower, to the middle of my back and I cry out. "That feels _so_ good Sara. Please don't stop."

Her cocky laugh escapes her, making me peek at her out of the corner of my eye. She's clearly not the only one now enjoying this. Her lips are parted, releasing heavy breaths and they're curling up, playing at a permanently pleased smile. If I wasn't afraid of the pain I'd feel over spreading my legs even an inch apart I would beg for her to take me right now. I'm sure my body is more than ready for her to slip right into me.

The weight on my ass is suddenly gone and I feel it return near my ankles. Again, I can't contain my cries of pleasure and low moans when Sara's touch returns to my calves. They were easily the most sore part of my body and Sara kneads the muscle like dough.

I can no longer dig my nails into the pillow as my fingers shoot out, stick straight. Locked in place from the tingles wanting to shoot straight out of them, I bite my lip and writher around. I'm floating on a cloud of bliss and even after Sara's hands withdraw and there's a tentative knock on the door, I still float.

"Come in?" Sara calls out curiously to the visitor at the door.

I fall back to earth and peek at the door, creaking from being opened so slowly. Emy tiptoes in, shielding her eyes with her hand. "Are you decent?" She asks with a hint of horror in her voice.

"Yeah." Sara giggles, sliding off of me and back onto the bed, resting her back against the chilly wall.

Emy slowly lowers her hand, but keeps her eyes shut. She peeks through slits and lets out a sigh of relief, opening her eyes fully.

"I could hear you all the way down the hall, Tegan." Emy spills with a heavy breath, dropping her backpack to the floor and flopping down on her bed. She crosses her legs and looks at me. "I didn't know what kind of kinky shit I was going to walk in on."

Oh God. Am I really that loud? Are Sara and I kinky? Do we give off that vibe? I don't think we've ever done anything that crazy and I certainly don't want to be associated with that word. My face flushes and I roll to the wall, burying my face in my hands. Now that Emy's gone and said that, it's going to put ideas in Sara's head that I don't want there.

"Oh we wouldn't do anything here without inviting you first, Em." Sara says, her tone light and playful.

Emy scoffs with a chuckle and tosses a pillow in Sara's direction, who catches it without a thought and continues laughing her adorable, uninhibited laugh. They join each other in joy, having completely ignored the fact that I was embarrassed beyond my wit, but for which I am grateful. Though since I'm still feeling a bit vulnerable, I get to my knees and crawl off my bed.

Emy stops laughing and eyes me up and down, gawking, "Damn Tegan, you're _fit_!"

My humiliation returns in a flash and I move to cover up my stomach. Sara sighs behind me, forcing her arms to replace mine and her lips find my spine. She kisses the same spot on my skin over and over. I can tell she's smiling and I can't help but smile in return.

"Isn't she sexy?" She directs to no one in particular.

I avoid Emy's gaze, not caring to know if she's still looking or nodding her head in agreement. I think it's understood that we all find each other mutually attractive but it's just weird to talk about with Emy in the room. I shrug Sara off, careful to graze my fingers along her forearms to let her know I'm not pushing her away for any negative purpose. I go to my closet, partially hidden by my dresser, and slip into a baggy t-shirt and pair of athletic shorts.

"Hey Sara," Emy speaks up, grabbing her attention.

I glance between them briefly, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

"Hm?" Sara hums, tossing Emy's pillow back to her.

I catch Emy's smirk and can only hope that the tone in her voice is intended to come off as teasing. "Next time maybe you should remember to invite me."


	31. Sex Toys and Peach Moscato

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Not only is this the longest chapter I've ever written for any of my fics but also the longest sex scene. :) I really hope you enjoy and would appreciate any of your feedback. Thanks!

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**Tegan's POV**

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. The sun is high in the sky, keeping me warm from the slight breeze. Hockey's been going great, my muscles aren't nearly as sore as they were a week ago, and Sara's definitely been appreciative of my body being back in tip top shape. School's great and the nights I spend in the dorm with Emy are always a blast. Basically, life is good. Really, really fucking good.

I glance at Sara out of the corner of my eye and drop her hand, quickly filling the empty touch by wrapping my arm around her waist and squeezing her hip playfully. Sara lets out a little laugh and slings her arm over my shoulder, pulling us closer together. I smile, leaning into her touch, and kiss her on the side of the head. I am beyond thrilled that both of us finally have a day off together to do whatever we want.

I can't explain how perfect it is to wake up at noon with the girl you love, sleeping curled up in your arms in the most fluffy, comfortable bed in the world. It's even harder to explain being able to take a long, steamy shower with her.

I smile to myself as Sara and I turn the corner, coming up on a new set of shops lining the block. I don't recognize a thing in this part of downtown Vancouver, but that was the whole point of us taking a walk. Sara is happy enough window-shopping, and I'm busy scoping for a new place to replace the dock at the lake back home, each time we pass a small park. It didn't matter that our thoughts were drifting in opposite directions. I just wanted to pass the time with Sara at my side.

Across the street I spot a small, secluded area littered with colorful flowers, and a random bench here and there. It really looks quite beautiful. It also looks like a spot where Sara and I can come at night and be together.

I reach for Sara's hand and start to drag us that way but don't get very far. I glance over my shoulder, seeing Sara staring at one of the shops. I scan for a sign and see the name "Honey Gifts" in a classy font in the front window. Under that, in smaller text, is "Adult Toy Store."

Oh lord. Of course Sara would choose _that_ store to go into.

"Let's go in." She says with a sly smile, tugging on my hand.

"_Sara_." I whine, keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Oh c'mon." Sara says, coming back to me. She wraps her arms around my neck and stands with her feet between mine. With our fronts touching, I can feel every breath she takes. Sara knows that by coddling me I'll give in without much of a fight. And to be honest, the fight in me isn't even that big. I'm just not fond of the idea of some stranger following my girlfriend and I around while we shop for sex toys. The internet exists for a reason.

"There's no need to be embarrassed." Sara reads my mind, tucking some hair behind my ear. "I read about this place online and it seems pretty classy. I'm sure whoever is working is going to be super nice and helpful. It's just sex, Tegan."

Just sex. Hah. I look over Sara's shoulder and peer into the windows. It doesn't look trashy at all, like Sara said.

"Wait." I pause, narrowing my eyes and glaring at Sara. "You know about this place? You brought us over here on purpose, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged." Sara smirks, chuckling.

"Well now I'm definitely not going in there." I smile back sweetly.

"Ah c'mon!" Sara practically begs. For a moment I think she's going to stomp her foot like a spoiled child being told no, but then she changes her approach. Her arms tighten around me and she twirls the hair at the base of my neck, knowing it calms me. She gives me puppy dog eyes and kisses me sweetly on the lips.

With just those actions, I can tell it won't be long before I'm walking out the door with my hands full of bags but I set my jaw anyway. The least Sara can do is work for it.

"You know how you like it when I hold your hand when we make love?" Sara asks softly, gazing into my eyes.

"Yeah." I mutter, completely mesmerized by those honeyed irises glimmering in the sun. I can't help but indulge when she acts so sweetly. Sara's the only thing that can satisfy my sweet tooth, and I'm always craving her.

"Well if we had a little buddy then I could hold both your hands. You'd like that wouldn't you, Tee?" She grins, knowing she's got me wrapped around her finger.

Ugh. Of course I would fucking like that. Who wouldn't? I let out a grunt and grab Sara's hand, dragging her up the walkway. I can see the skip in her step in the reflection of the window and the cocky look on her face. I jerk my hand forward quickly and Sara trips over her feet, stumbling into me.

I let out a satisfied laugh and step into the store before Sara can make a scene and yell at me. The bell above the door chimes and the young guy sitting behind the counter glances up from his magazine.

"Hi ladies. Can I help you with anything?" He smiles warmly, tucking his finger between the pages of his magazine to keep his place.

"Oh no, no. We're just looking around. Thanks." I decline him politely with a smile before Sara can get a word in. The last thing I want is some hormone driven guy following us around and telling us all the details of each item, suggesting what we might like.

Sara seems to agree and pulls me along. I look down to my shuffling feet and let her lead me to where she wants to go. I'm sure she has some semblance of an idea of what we could use. I wouldn't have a clue on where to start.

**Sara's POV**

I probably shouldn't have tricked Tegan into coming here, but if I knew it would have seriously upset her I wouldn't have done it. I'm not that cruel. We pass the racks filled with all sorts of shapely toys and I can't help but be excited. We've never used anything but our hands and tongues and I just know there's a whole world of toys for Tegan and I to explore, if she's willing.

We come to the display I was looking for and stop. Strapons. I squeeze Tegan's hand and give her a quick, sneaky kiss on the cheek. She smiles shyly and flits her eyes over all of the choice, completely overwhelmed. There's a mix of pure terror and excitement strewn across her features. I giggle and look back to the display, looking for one I want Tegan to use on me. It's about time she puts that hockey body to its proper use. I quickly bypass all of the girly ones and any that look flimsy. We're going to need something sturdy for what we'll be doing. Or at least what I hope we'll be doing.

I see a few leather harnesses that would work but they just don't scream Tegan. And then I see it, glowing and calling out to me. Okay, maybe not, but it's perfect. Sexy and masculine and Tegan's ass will no doubt look amazing in them. I grab the package off the hook and hand them to Tegan. Her expression is blank as she eyes the camouflaged boxer briefs with the white RodeoH brand stitched into the black waistband.

"You'd look so hot in them." I say, practically drooling over just the thought.

"Me?" Tegan asks, glancing up at me through her eyelashes and poking herself in the chest. "You want _me _to use one on _you_?"

"Of course." I giggle. Just because I usually took control didn't mean I wasn't just as happy to let Tegan take on that role.

"Oh. Okay." Tegan smiles to herself and tucks them under her arm. She continues her search and settles on a rather hefty all black Joque harness, adding it to the one under her arm.

"That's pretty fucking heavy duty, Tee." I grin.

Tegan bites her lip and gives me a suggestive look. Oh, thatlook. That look that drives me insane. I grab her wrist and pull her into me. She giggles, blushing, and I snake my arms around to her ass, giving her a squeeze. "I fucking love you." I growl, nipping at her earlobe.

Tegan lets out a quiet whimper and quickly glances behind us, making sure we aren't being watched. The coast is clear and she catches my lips in a quick, heated kiss before sauntering off to find attachments for our harnesses.

I wrap my arms around her middle and gawk at the huge selection. Long, short, thick, skinny, veiny, ribbed, basically anything your heart desires. I'm not into the idea of being with a man at all but there's something really hot about picturing Tegan wearing a more realistic dildo, especially with the harness I picked out. I go for a light skin colored, average length toy. Tegan rips it out of my hand and grimaces.

"Really?" She asks, tilting her head to the side.

"What? I think it suits you." I shrug.

Tegan rolls her eyes, opens her mouth to argue, then thinks better of it. It's not like she's going to be able to see it often anyway. We go back to looking and I point to a few, but Tegan only shakes her head. I can understand why this would be hard for her. She's never had anything inside her but my fingers, and only two at most. When I lost my virginity, I was scared shitless over having something as big as a penis inside of me. I rub her tummy and try to ease her nerves a bit, while putting myself in her shoes and thinking what I would be comfortable with, if I were her.

On the bottom row, I see it and go grab it off its hook. I know Tegan won't protest. It's black, a little bit longer than the one I chose but a bit thinner and completely smooth with a rounded tip. It doesn't resemble a penis much at all. I hand it to her and she smiles wide, approving. Phew.

We check out the rest of the store, grabbing a few extra things. I make sure to get a discreet vibrator along with a more normal one, and a few bottles of lube. I don't think we need to go overboard with things quite yet, although I do spend quite a few minutes looking at some paddles before Tegan yanks me away to the counter. I guess she's not quite ready for that.

Tegan pays for everything and takes the bag before I can. I smile and shake my head while she busies herself bunching it up on the sidewalk so the logo and store name are covered up. I take her hand when she's done and lead us back the way we came.

"I was thinking we could cook a nice meal together and then you could try on your new things when we get home." I suggest, stopping at a crosswalk.

"That sounds nice. I think I remember seeing a grocery store somewhere around here earlier." Tegan agrees.

I kiss her cheek and pull my phone out of my pocket, dialing my sister. I ask her if she can get us a bottle of Peach Moscato and drop it off at the apartment in about an hour.

**Tegan's POV**

Sara and I pick up the ingredients to make apricot chicken pasta and catch a cab home. Neither of us really have the patience to walk home with our plans for tonight in mind. I admit I'm a little bit nervous. Okay, really nervous. I know Sara will guide me along if I need the help, but I'd like to be able to show her that I can be just as great with taking care of her, as she is with me. Hopefully the wine will give me the extra boost of confidence I need.

The cab pulls up to our building and we scurry out, quickly handing the driver the fee and a tip. Sara goes straight to work on preparing the kitchen and I sneak off to the bathroom to get changed for later. I grab a clean pair of dark skinny denims and a fitted black v-neck to go along with the briefs. I'm sure they'll be scatted across the room the second we reach the bedroom but I feel like playing the part a little.

I slip the briefs on and read the instructions on how to insert the dildo. It's pretty easy. I just slip it into the hole and put the base in place. I never thought I'd be looking in the mirror and seeing myself with an erection but here I am, just staring. The longer I look, the funnier it gets. Pretty soon I'm doubled over in laughter, and bouncing on my heels, watching it bob up and down. I only manage to control myself when I hear Casey knock at the front door. I quickly throw the rest of my clothes on, making sure I'm not bulging too much, and head back to the kitchen.

"Hey Casey." I say happily, lifting myself onto the counter near Sara.

"Hi Tegan. How's hockey going?" She replies, setting the wine in the fridge.

"Pretty great, actually. We finally head onto the rink next week. I can't wait to break in my new skates." I suck a slice of apricot into my mouth and chew on it.

"You'll have to let me know when your first game is. I'd love to– Oh, excuse me." Casey says, pulling her ringing phone out of her pocket. She walks off to the living room, talking to whoever is on the other end.

I shrug and go for another slice of apricot but Sara slaps it out of my hand.

"Get out of my kitchen if you can't behave." She scolds.

I smile that gummy smile that gets me out of anything and hop to my feet, grabbing two of our new wineglasses from the cupboard. I get the wine from the fridge and Casey wanders back in, waving her phone.

"Sorry about that, but I have to get going. Boyfriends." She says with a laugh, rolling her eyes.

Sara and I thank her for the wine and hug her goodbye, waiting until she's out the door to turn to each other and roll our eyes.

"Boyfriends." We say in unison and break out into a laughing fit.

Sara wipes the tears from her eyes and resumes cooking the chicken and preparing the sauce. I pour us each a glass of wine and pour the noodles into the boiling water. I take a sip of my wine and smile. It's really bubbly and tastes delicious.

"Ahh." Sara sighs, taking a sip from her own glass.

I giggle and step up behind her, snaking my arms around her middle. She sighs again, leaning back into my touch.

**Sara's POV**

I lean back into Tegan and immediately feel the package hidden in her jeans. I wanted to ravish her when she walked into the kitchen earlier but I don't think Casey would have appreciated that but now, I can do whatever I want. I press harder into her backside, grinding against her crotch so I can feel the bulge press in between my legs, right where I want her. I let out a groan. Tegan drops feather light kisses to the back of my neck and sneaks a piece of apricot when she thinks I'm distracted. I chuckle and let her do as she pleases. I'm too busy enjoying the feeling between my legs.

Tegan hums contentedly and pulls away, taking our glasses to the dining room, while I drain the noodles. She sets the table, lighting a few candles, while I dish up onto our plates.

"This smells amazing, Sare." Tegan smiles, scooping some onto her fork.

"Don't forget to kiss the cook if it tastes just as good." I say, flashing her a grin.

Tegan takes a bite and closes her eyes, nodding in delight as she chews. She swallows and opens her eyes, leaning across the table to give me a kiss.

I get a small taste of the apricot and smile. So good. I take a bite from my plate and wash it down with wine. Maybe cooking was my true calling. It seems to please Tegan enough. She's almost halfway done already and barely says a word through the entire meal.

I chuckle to myself and finish off my wine. Tegan takes our plates and washes them off in the sink. I blow the candle out and pour us each a little bit more. I'm already starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, so I know Tegan is too.

**Tegan's POV**

I take Sara's hand and lead us to our bedroom. I'm not sure if she's aware of the blood pumping rapidly in my veins due to the excitement the wine has stirred in me, and the nervousness that just exists in me at all times but if she can, I'm sure she'd be used to it by now. Sara shuts the door behind her and takes her place next to me on our bed. A few quiet moments pass before I manage to swallow my nerves and gently ease Sara back until she's sitting cross-legged in the middle and I'm straddling her legs. Sara exposes her charming smile and rests her hands on my hips, tenderly smoothing her palms across my jeans, and under the hem of my shirt. My skin warms from her touch and I smile back at her, taking her face in my hands.

We stare into each other eyes, communicating our trust and love without words, and only do they start to flutter shut when our lips touch eagerly. My mind races from the feeling of her wet lips moving across mine though there wasn't a feeling that was more familiar to me. They way she kisses me makes me feel like I'm falling in love with her for the first time all over again, each time it happens. I move my hand up her jaw-line, ghosting my fingertips along the sharpness that could cut glass and tangle my fingers into her messy hair, giving a slight tug.

Sara smiles against my lips and quickly moves to ease my shirt off of me. I reluctantly pull myself away to lift the fabric over my head and watch Sara toss it away without a care. We share a smile and Sara continues to run her hands along my torso, leaving fire in their wake. I tilt my head back and sigh, letting my hands go to work on removing my belt and adding it to the pile my shirt was in.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes on." Sara professes, gliding her lips along the band of my black sports bra, just below my breasts that heave from my heavy breaths. Her hands dip underneath the band so she can expose me but I carefully wrap my fingers around her wrists and pull her away.

She quickly gets the hint that I intend for this to be about her and letting me take control, allowing me to get the chance to make love to her under my terms. I drop a kiss to her swollen lips, shiny from our saliva mixing, and strip her of her shirt. My eyes rake across her torso, admiring the way her skin moves on her muscles and bones. If I wanted to, I think I could make a pretty convincing argument that if Sara took the time to look in the mirror, she'd understand that it's her who is the most beautiful.

Sara lets out a sweet chuckle and intertwines our hands in her lap. My skin rises in temperature from flushing, over being caught staring at her in awe, but it's nothing I can control. She's so perfect. I can't help but constantly want to look at her. I give her hands a squeeze and put us both on our backs so we're lying side by side, facing each other.

Letting her hands go, I run mine through her hair and attack her neck with licks and nips, not the least bit concerned with where I happen to leave my mark. Sara writhes a bit, groaning softly every so often into my ear with hot breath, and busies her hands by undoing my jeans and releasing the cock from its confines. She moans, wrapping her fingers around the member. My clit gives a little twitch and I stop kissing her to watch her stroke me. Each down thrust bumps the base against my mound and with the visuals, I'm soaked in seconds. There's no doubt in my mind that Sara is as well.

I rush to kick my jeans off and Sara does the same, letting them land in a heap on top of mine. I roll on top of Sara before she has a chance to even blink and kiss her passionately. She squirms underneath, getting bits of fantastic friction from the cock pressed tightly between our bodies, and moans frantically into my mouth. I hook my fingers around the front clasp of her bra and she falls free, her stiff nipples poking against my own. I pull away to get a look at her, her body glowing in a light sheen of sweat. She stares at me hungrily, clawing at my back and moving to get any friction from me that she can. It's such a new sight to me, I don't know that I'll manage to tear my attention away long enough to actually give her what she wants. I think I understand why Sara loved taking control of me so much, especially since I could be so whiny and clingy. It's so exhilarating to see your partner completely at your mercy, especially when they look and act like Sara.

Her short fingernails dig into my skin, sure to leave dark red lines that'll last for days, and I tear her hands away and pin them above her head. I make sure to place my fingers in the spaces between hers, getting a sort of sick satisfaction that we're holding hands with me on top when I know Sara meant nothing like this earlier when she talked me into going into that store. I slither down so my head is aligned with her chest and kiss her nipples softly, before dragging my tongue in the valley between the heavy mounds. Sara sighs from the back of her throat, getting frustrated, and tries to break free to push my head down further but she's about as strong as a rag doll against me. The thought makes me snicker and I let her go and lean back on my haunches, getting a look at her. She reaches for her panties the same time I do and we roll them down her legs together in a hurry.

I toss them aside and look at the glistening between her legs. She's spread wide and beyond soaked, extremely ready for me. We share a look and she gives me a nod, ready to be done with the foreplay. I kneel my way closer and take the shaft of my cock with a sturdy grip. Sara releases a feral growl, pleased with the sight and I smile proudly, running the tip between her folds, her begging entrance expelling a delicious amount of wetness to her swollen clit, throbbing and aching to be toyed with.

When I'm sure I'm lubed up enough for her to take me I place the tip at her entrance and rest my palm flat on the bed by her head. With my face above hers, I lean forward and kiss her tenderly, easing my way in centimeter by centimeter. I'm about three inches in, a little over half way, and I focus on every little flinch and roll of Sara's eyes as she gets over the discomfort and the pleasure sinks in.

I push the rest of the cock inside of her, inch by inch, until our hips meet and we breath a sigh of relief in unison.

"How's it feel?" I ask, kissing her on the cheek and lowering my body flush on top of hers.

"You feel so fucking amazing, Tee." She smiles, wrapping her arms around with one hand on the back of my neck and the other on the small of my back.

I blush and bury my face into the crook of her neck. I can't really feel anything at all, but just knowing I'm giving Sara this kind of pleasure first, makes me feel amazing too. I spread my legs a bit, getting comfortable, and slowly inch out of her until it's just the tip again and then push back into her in one solid thrust.

Sara's breath catches in her throat and she pulls my hair from the sudden pressure. I hurriedly lift my head and look in her eyes, looking for any signs of discomfort.

"Are you okay? I ask, worried. The last thing I want to do is hurt Sara in anyway.

"Yeah," she closes her eyes and nods her head, "just keep going please."

I kiss her across her face and give her what she wants, thrusting in and out of her gently but still hard enough for her liking and our hips meet with a quiet smack each time. I can just picture how we look, the image of Sara spread out for me and taking every inch of me, while I rocked into her slowly, and took control of her lips with mine. For a moment I think about stopping so I can grab the full-length mirror hanging on our closet door, but hold myself back. That's something I have to talk about with Sara before I do. She always makes sure I'm comfortable with anything we do, the least I can do is return the favor.

Sara throws her head back and lets out a long series of moans as I pump faster. The pull on the base of the cock gets stronger as her walls clench around it more desperately. I bite my lip and raise my body enough to get a look at me working in and out of her. The cock is glossy with her come, making the most slick, mouth watering noises as it stretches her walls. The sight and sounds are becoming too much for me to handle and I busy myself with her breasts, sucking and nibbling my way between the two as they bounce with my thrusts.

**Sara's POV**

I know there's no way in Hell I'm going to last much longer. I've never felt so good or come so fast from just penetration before. But Tegan is like a sex god, somehow finding the perfect balance of what we both like. She isn't going at it wildly but my head is still getting dangerously close to thumping against the headboard with each thrust. I wish I could see her right now. Her muscles clenching and moving under her skin while she fucks me has got to be the hottest thing imaginable. I wonder if she would let me record us. Probably not, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

I let out a cry when Tegan hits a particularly sweet spot and tear at her back, leaving scratches. She hisses and hits the spot again. I've hit the point of no return and cling my legs around her waist, digging my heels into her. Over and over again she hits that spot and with each louder moan I release because of it, she pumps into me harder.

"Tegan. . . I–I'm gonna. . come." I wheeze, feeling the shortness of breath and tingles start in my toes and creep their way up.

Her teeth sink into my neck and she gives one final thrust, making my head bang against the headboard and that was it. The muscles in my stomach tighten, lurching me forward involuntarily and a numbing electricity shoots from my middle and expands out my fingertips and the ends of my toes. I spasm, eyes rolling into the back of my head and Tegan just holds me, kissing along my jaw-line and gently easing in and out of me until I gain control of my body once again.

"You are one hell of a lover." I gush, falling limp beneath her.

Tegan chuckles, trying to hide her swelling pride, and leans up on her elbows, staring lovingly into my eyes.

"You're beautiful." She smiles, pecking me on the nose.

I blush and run my hands along her back, hoping to relieve any pain I may have caused. Tegan kisses my lips and slowly sits up. Her eyes are glazed over while she watches herself pull out of me and then at all of my come coating her cock. I'm sure I have the same look on my face, finally getting a good look at her and her ensemble. She's cute, sexy, and fucking all mine. I don't know if I want to flip her onto her back and ravish her or just curl into her and have her hold me all night.

Tegan makes the choice for me, crawling off the bed and stumbling into the bathroom. She comes back a moment later, the dildo gone and a towel in her hand. She gently cleans me up and throws the towel back towards the bathroom and climbs back into bed. She molds herself around my weakened body and plays with my hair with one hand and holds my waist with the other.

"I love you." Tegan hums happily, kissing my temple.

"I love you too." I reply, snuggling into her.


	32. Steamies and Mopping

**A/N: **Sorry for the slow update! I was too sober for a while to write this, but I promise the next chapter will be up and believe me, it's a good one. :) (Or at least I hope anyway!) Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what ya think! Thanks for reading!

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**Tegan's POV**

"I miss yesterday." My words are muffled against Sara's shoulder. I unstick my face from her skin and turn to the side, placing a light kiss to the underside of her jaw.

"Me too, Tee." Sara lets out a happy sigh and buries her hand in my hair, playing with my messy locks.

I smile and snuggle in as much as I can, hitching a leg over Sara's waist and wrapping an arm around her middle. If we were to get any closer, I swear we would become one. Just like we were last night. I shudder, the thoughts of Sara sprawled out beneath me as I took control flooding my mind.

"Thinking about last night, eh?" Sara asks with a smile in her voice, tugging playfully on my hair.

I bury my face and grin, nodding in the crook of Sara's neck. I know I'll be smiling like an idiot all day through class and practice. I give Sara a few more kisses and she chuckles, throwing her leg over mine. In an instant I am on my back and under Sara as she hovers over me, resting on her elbows. I gulp, looking between the space of our bodies. Sara never put on pajamas after we were done. My hands, resting on her sides, itch to caress her breasts and my thumbs long to graze her nipples.

"Eyes up here, Tee." Sara giggles, gripping my jaw and bringing my gaze to her eyes, dripping with love and desire.

I blush and completely melt into the look that's only reserved for me and smile, exposing my gums. I love Sara so much. She closes the gap between us and kisses me deeply. I moan, bringing my hands to her shoulders and palm her taught muscles with enough to pressure to flush her body against me. I settle into her warmth for only a few seconds before I feel it being taken away.

"Please stay." I whine, wrapping a leg around the backs of her knees.

"Nature calls, Babe. I gotta." Sara chuckles, continuing our kiss while she climbs off the bed. She pulls away with a little sigh and waddles off into the conjoined bathroom. It's like she has a stick up her ass or something and I start to laugh, then the guilt sinks in, realizing why she would be walking like that.

The door shuts and I sit up, swinging my legs off the edge of the bed. I feel terrible, and she didn't even say anything. She's clearly uncomfortable. How could I hurt her like that? I fold into myself, hugging my knees, and wait for Sara to finish her business. A moment later the door opens and she picks up a wrinkled shirt from the floor and a pair of boxers, slipping them on before returning her attention back to me.

"Tee? What's wrong?" Sara's face falls, all traces of our happiness now completely gone. She quickly rushes to my side, wincing every few steps, and takes my face into her hands, searching my eyes.

"I hurt you. Why didn't you tell me I hurt you?" I bite my lip, trying to keep the whimpers at bay. And then Sara laughs. She's completely full out laughing. I stare at her, dumbfounded. The thought of ever hurting Sara doesn't strike me as amusing.

**Sara's POV**

I quickly stop laughing when I see Tegan's face. She actually thinks she hurt me. Oh, Tegan. I drop a kiss to her forehead then lift the fabric of my boxers, revealing the slight discoloration from where Tegan's bony hips rocked into my body repeatedly last night.

"I wear them proudly." I smile, trailing my fingers along one of the marks.

"Oh, _Sare_." Tegan mutters quietly, reaching out to touch my thigh. She cringes when I give the slightest flinch over a particular tender spot. "How could you let me do this to you?"

"Tegan. . ." I sigh, settling into her lap. The mattress sinks silently beneath us and I wrap my arms around her bare middle, rubbing soothing circles against her back. My lips connect with the soft skin of her face over and over, and when I speak, my words are softened against her cheek. "The way you treated me last night was. . . amazing. There isn't a thing I would change. You were sweet and rough and I could feel your love surrounding me as you made love to me. These bruises. . . they show that. They're reminders of how much you love me and I _love _that. You didn't hurt me one bit, Tee. I promise."

Tegan nods and my lips absorb the small trail of tears falling and then they're being pressed against hers, sucking all of the love out of me. I smile, letting her guide her lips along mine, to my jawline, and down to my neck. A shiver runs down my spine and I hate that I have to pull away when Tegan starts pulling us down onto the sheets.

"You have class in an hour." I mutter, kissing along her chin and getting to my feet.

"But I want you." Tegan grumbles, taking my hand and letting me pull her up.

I chuckle, walking her to the bathroom, and push her inside. I give her a peck on the cheek and reach for the door handle. "Later, okay? Get ready for class and I'll make you breakfast." I pull the door shut on Tegan's adorable pouty face and head to the kitchen.

Upbeat music fills the apartment and I dance along, bobbing my head and shuffling my feet, gathering the ingredients for chocolate pancakes with strawberries. I whip everything together and am just pouring the last of the batter into the pan when Tegan sneaks up on me, snaking her arms around my middle. My breath catches in my throat and then I relax, taking in her fresh scent, and reach behind me to run my fingers through her combed wet locks. She lets out a low growl and continues to kiss along the nape of my neck, following me to the dining room with her hands never leaving me while I set the table.

I don't know what switch in Tegan's brain got hit last night but I'm so glad it did. I've always known Tegan's clingy but she never showed it as much physically as she did emotionally and if she's finally going to let it show, I can't be more ecstatic about it. It's nice to be told and shown how loved you are.

Tegan takes her place at the table and I go back to the kitchen, grabbing the chocolate syrup and bowl of sliced strawberries. I set them near the stack of pancakes and sit down, waiting for Tegan to finish piling three cakes on her plate right away. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to giggle, and set my own plate, loading the strawberries on.

Tegan takes a bite and throws her head back, chewing loudly and moaning her appreciation. She swallows and stares at me, shaking her head. "You really know how to make me look like a bad girlfriend."

I chuckle and suck a strawberry between my lips, savoring the sweet and slightly sour taste. This ought to be amusing. "Why's that?" I ask.

"I never do things for you. We've got a terrible balance of give and take. One of these days I'm going to do something so amazing for you, you won't even know what to do." She replies.

"I'm looking forward to that." I smile, dreaming up all of the things she could possibly surprise me with.

Tegan returns my smile and we finish eating in comfortable silence. I gather our plates and clean up the kitchen while Tegan finishes getting ready for class. She wanders back in a few minutes later, heavy backpack strapped high on her back, all ready to go.

"Do you work late tonight?" Tegan asks, leaning against the counter with an ankle hooked behind the other.

I nod, setting a plate into the drying rack. "I have to close but it's just me so you can come over and keep my company after practice while I clean if you want."

"Okay!" Tegan chirps, perking right up.

I laugh, letting the water out of the sink and drying my hands on my shirt, and pull Tegan in for a hug and a kiss, backing us up into the living room near the door.

"I'll leave the door unlocked so just let yourself in." I mutter, cracking the door open.

Tegan nods with a crooked smile, roping me in for one last heart melting kiss.

**Tegan's POV**

I hate that whenever there is something to look forward to, time just seems to drag on and on and on. Class almost put me to sleep but at least hockey has been giving me those adrenaline rushes I was missing so much now that my body isn't so sore. I drop my backpack off at home and jog to Steamies in the dim light of the street lamps, masking my body but revealing my shadow.

I come up to the store front and watch Sara through the window. I know I saw her just this morning but I started to miss her practically the moment she shoved me out the door to go to class. She's behind the counter, moving around and I silently sneak in, clicking the lock in place.

Florence and The Machine is playing softly and Sara sings along, failing horribly at carrying out the high, long notes that always give me goosebumps. A mop is gripped tightly in her hands, acting as a makeshift microphone and dance partner. I eye her up and down, smiling. She's in her uniform yet, a green polo with khakis and a green baseball cap. She looks so damn cute. It's no wonder I'm head over heels in love with her.

I step up to the counter and bite my lip to stifle my loud giggles when she does a weird little shuffle, shaking her butt and her arms at her side, elbows bent. The song comes to an end and Sara resumes her duties of actually mopping the tiled floor and I take the opportunity to tap the little silver bell sitting next to the tip jar annoyingly.

Sara jumps in fright, her hand flying to calm her racing heart, and looks over her shoulder with wide, frightened eyes.

"Hi!" I greet her happily, resting my elbows on the counter with my chin in my palm.

"Christ Tee, you scared the shit out of me." Sara gasps, dropping the mop handle, letting it clatter to the ground, and pauses the music coming from her phone.

"Sorry." I grin innocently, pointing to her and twirling my finger. "I liked that little booty thing you had going on there."

"I like that booty thing you got too." Sara chuckles, leaning across the counter and taking my face in her hands, pulling me closer. I'm brought to my tippy toes and my eyes flutter shut, allowing Sara to kiss me deeply. She smells and tastes of coffee, unsurprisingly, but I love it. It's _so _her.

I run my hand through her hair but she pulls away, leaving me breathless and with clamped shut eyes. I pout and Sara's giggles sound far away. I crack open an eye and see her standing at the end of the counter, holding up a small area of it connected to hinges up for me to sneak pass. She grabs the sleeves of my hoodie forcefully once I'm through and slams me into the edge of the counter, taking my bottom lip between her teeth and pulling back.

I groan, pressing my thighs tightly together. I shouldn't have been so ignorant to think that Sara really only wanted me for the company while she cleaned. My lip snaps back against my gums, then receives an unexpected gentle kiss. I open my eyes to find Sara staring at me, completely taken over with desire. I bite my slightly sore lip, waiting for her next move.

"Can you do me a favor, Tee?" Sara asks softly, barely above a whisper.

I furrow my brow and nod. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for Sara and she should know that. Her fingers loosen around the soft fabric covering my arms and she flattens her hands, rubbing them up and down my arms. She inches in closer, whispering in my ear, "There's something I need from my backpack in the break room. Will you go get it for me?"

I nod, expelling heavy breaths against her hair. I feel like a fool for becoming so needy by just the way she asks such a simple question but I don't have much of a choice. Sara completely owns me. She backs away and I'm once again staring into her honeyed eyes that shine a deeper brown in the low lighting.

"Wh-What is it?" I stutter, getting antsy from her playing with my belt buckle.

"You'll know it when you see it." She smirks, ushering me off in the direction I need to go.

**Sara's POV**

Bouncing from foot to foot impatiently, I wait for Tegan to return to me with what I've been hiding in my backpack all day. I couldn't get her out of my head for more than five seconds the entire day and had to make many more bathroom breaks than usual as a result so I could clean up the mess between my legs. I begin tapping my fingertips along the shiny counter, wondering what on earth she's doing back there. I take a step forward when her head pops out from between the wall and door. She looks a bit flustered and I raise an eyebrow at her, waiting.

"Are you serious?" She asks quietly, as if there's someone around who can hear her.

I simply nod, curling my finger into my palm, beckoning her forward. With a shuffle, Tegan sheepishly returns to my side, holding the item behind her back. I chuckle, thinking she should know by now to never be shy around me. I lift my hat off and place it on her head, then pull her into me by her waist, grabbing the surprise from her grip.

"Do you want to?" I ask, running my finger along the length of the black dildo.

A moment passes and I peek up at Tegan, wondering where her hesitation is coming from. This is how she likes it, after all. Her throat bobs as she gulps, boring her eyes into the harness, and I think maybe I've made a mistake. Maybe I've finally gone overboard and pushed her past what she's really comfortable with. My shoulders hunch, features soften, and I reach out to cup her jaw, rubbing the pad of my thumb on the underside of her chin. I want her to know that she can say she doesn't want to without it upsetting me.

Eventually Tegan nods and steps between my legs, wrapping her arms around me, squeezing tightly, and resting her head on my shoulder. I feel a kiss to my shoulder and then breath on my neck.

"Just go in slowly before you do your thing, okay?" She mutters, her voice shaky.

I nod and kiss the top of her head. I'll be so gentle with her she won't even recognize that it's me. Then I'll do my _thing_, whatever that is.

Tegan sighs, relaxing her shoulders, and helps with the removal our shoes, pants, and underwear. I wouldn't be comfortable being completely naked in such a public setting and I know that means Tegan definitely wouldn't be either. I step into the harness, tightening it snugly around my hips, and grab Tegan's waist, turning her around so she's facing the store front and has her palms flat on the countertop.

My front is flush against her back and her shoulders visibly tense from the dildo being pressed into her lower back. She takes in a sharp breath and I pull back slightly, giving us space, massaging her shoulders and guiding her hoodie down her arms and into a jumbled mess with the rest of our clothes. Second by second, she relaxes under my touch and I slide my hands to her front, hugging her from behind and rubbing soothing circles against her tummy.

"Baby, _relax_." I purr in her ear, licking from top to bottom, earning a shiver down Tegan's spine.

My hands continue their assault upwards to her breasts, massaging her over her bra until her nipples are stiff against the padded fabric. I kiss along her neck and down until I'm on my knees, her spread thighs and ass before me. I grin to myself, stroking up her thighs then dragging my short nails down, leaving thin red lines. The sensation drives Tegan wild and she quivers, making her fleshy ass jiggle and I can't help but be bad, sinking my teeth right into the skin.

"Fuck!" Tegan yelps, jerking forward.

I grin devilishly and run my tongue along my teeth marks, soothing the pain until she sighs and relaxes again.

A second ticks away in the distance, filling the silence as I take deep inhales through my nose, savoring the heavy, sweet aroma, and exhale through my lips, blowing warm air across Tegan's drenched folds. Lack of patience gets the better of me and I wiggle the tip of my tongue between her slit, teasing at her dripping entrance. She coats and melts on my tongue like sweet honey and I moan, sending vibrations through her folds and to her clit, making Tegan twitch, forcing her legs to tighten around my face. She oozes more, and I lap as much of her juices up as I can before kissing back up her body and licking at her lobe with my glazed tongue.

"Now _that's _a cream I would take with my coffee." I whisper huskily, bringing about the most adorable string of giggles I've ever heard from Tegan. There you go Tee, just relax a little more.

"You're sick." Tegan snickers, smiling at me over her shoulder. It reaches her eyes and with our eyes staring deep into each other's, I know that she is as ready as she'll ever be.

With my fingers wrapped around the black dildo, and my lips leaving light kisses on Tegan's shoulder, I push the bulbous head past her entrance.

"Ahh!" Tegan hisses through clenched teeth and clenched shut eyes. Her discomfort is clear on her face and I go back to rubbing her stomach, waiting for her to get used to the feeling.

"You're okay, Baby." I soothe, easing a sigh out of her. I kiss her cheek and she nods, giving me permission to continue.

Inch after inch disappears until all six are gone, buried deep inside Tegan's walls. I grab her hips and hold still, waiting for her to take a breath.

"Are you in?" She exhales loudly, blowing wisps of her hair across her face.

"All the way, Tee." How do you feel?" I ask, pushing her hair away.

I rosy blush starts at the center of Tegan's cheeks and spreads out, covering her entire face and neck. She buries her face in her arms against the counter before she thinks I can see the grin creeping up, and bends forward, pushing her ass further into my front. I assume that means she feels good.

I place a hand back on her stomach and the other grips her shoulder, keeping her still while I slowly pull out, feeling the harness lift from my lower abdomen as her tight walls cling to the phallus, desperate to keep it inside.

I'm almost out and the head stretches her wider, working through her wetness and filling the silence. A moan is muffled against the countertop and Tegan class at the shiny, hard surface. She's such a beautiful, raw sight, bent for me as I take her from behind. It makes my head spin, and if the people passing by on the sidewalk turned their towards the darkened cafe windows, their heads would spin too. It's overwhelming and I need more of her. I need to feel her turn to putty in my hands. I move my hand on her stomach up to her other shoulder, bend my knees slightly, and push back into her with a solid thrust. She moans and I pull back out only to thrust back in, banging her body into the counter. I quickly get lost in the simple, primal movement, humping her like a sex deprived bunny.

In. Out. Harder. In. Out. Faster.

Tegan bites down on her knuckles, swallowing the scream itching to get out. Her head is turned, her eyes slits and looking at me from the corner, filled with nothing but animalistic lust. She's completely loving it, I can tell. All traces of the innocent Tegan that I know are wiped away, and replaced with a woman that is getting off by just being _fucked _by the one she loves. It's driving my to push her past her limits. If she thought I was walking funny this morning, she's going to have a very rude awaking in the morning. She'll be sore for days. Hockey practice is going to be a bitch but it's all worth it for a mind shattering orgasm, right?

My hips slam into her ass, my hand reaches around her front, giving her a half hug, and I press two fingers against her clit. Tegan cries out, smacking her palms against the counter and her knees against the bottom cupboards from the sudden burst of pleasure and soon her eyes are slowly rolling into the back of her head. She scrunches her nose and I know she's teetering on the edge, ready to crash into ecstasy at any second. I wrap my other arm around her waist to keep her falling into a muddled heap on the floor when I start rubbing her swollen bundle of nerves in quick circles.

My fingers prune in seconds, Tegan is so wet. Her thighs have got to be coated in the sweetness by now. My mouth starts to water and I lick my lips, the visuals of cleaning her up once she's come down threatening to make me come on the spot but I focus all my want to get off on getting Tegan off.

She rocks backwards into my body, bouncing off my hips each time skin meets skin and with a low moan, she's coming harder than she ever has before. Just as her orgasm starts to take over, her eyes clamping shut, I pull out. A clear gush of liquid follows the dildo and rushes to the recently mopped floor, splashing onto our feet. My jaw hits the floor and my eye wide gaze flicks from her dripping between her legs and her mouth shaped into a perfect circle, spewing out helpless moans.

Tegan just squirted. Right where I stand all day in the coffee shop I work at. Holy shit. I didn't even know Tegan could do that, and I'm already addicted, needing to make her do it again. I quickly slip back inside of her, going at her in quick short plunges.

"Sara.. _please_.. I.. I can't.." Tegan begs through her moans.

**Tegan's POV**

I feel weightless and so fucking good. Just as I peak, I feel Sara fill me all the way again, leave me for a short second, and then fill me back up. I fall over the edge again, shuddering in my pleasure but it's too much, I have to beg Sara to stop. She pulls out and I feel that strange pressure again and the sound of liquid hitting the floor. I feel like I should be concerned, or even disgusted, but I can't form a thought to care. Sara's brought me to a whole new high tonight and I don't ever want to come down. She put all of my senses into overdrive until I couldn't take it anymore. That's what I want from her every time we're intimate like this.

"That was so hot." Sara mutters, helping me turn to face her.

My legs feel like jelly but I manage to pull a toothy grin when I can muster the energy to lift my head. It's crazy how ridiculously in love with her I am. If she told me she wanted me again and to bend back over for her, I would, no matter how exhausted I am. I keep that thought to myself though because knowing Sara, her face would light up and I'm sure she would happily go again. I'm sure she's dying to get off too but I just can't, and she seems to understand, choosing to instead hold me against the counter, supporting me until I can stand on my own again, and kisses along my jaw line. I link my fingers against the small of her back, content to just be in her arms now, and throw my head back, chuckling and trying to picture how I must have looked just minutes ago.

"What's so funny?" Sara tilts my head down and looks at me curiously.

"I was just thinking that you're going to have put that music back on and pick up that mop again." I laugh, wiggling my toes, splashing in the pool at my feet.


	33. Tegan's Birthday and Raising It Up

**A/N: **And here I present you with my favorite chapter of the story thus far. Please enjoy and review. :) Thanks for reading!

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**Sara's POV**

White, simple. That's what the daisies are against the small gifts, glazing cinnamon roll pancakes and gooey strawberry frosting, sitting on a rich, wooden tray on Tegan's side of the bed. That's the beginning of Tegan's special day. Her nineteenth birthday. The tray's missing something and I scurry back to the kitchen and fill a tall glass of chocolate milk. Yep, now it's perfect.

I open the blinds just enough to let a bit of sunshine on Tegan's face and quietly climb in by her side. My movements rouse her and she creases her eyebrows, scrunching her nose. There really isn't a cuter sight than that. Her lips pull into a tiny circle, silently yawning and she pops her eyes open, flooding her senses with all of me.

"Happy birthday, Baby," I breathe across her face and smile, then nod my head towards the other side of the bed, and add, "Turn around."

Tegan rolls onto her back and turns her head, gasping before she smiles beautifully, cheeks rosy. She whips her head around, staring at me, and she's all gums, dreamily uttering, "Thank you, Sara."

Lifting her head and pulling mine down, Tegan brings into me a sweet kiss, capturing my bottom lip between hers. I smile, her lips still pressed to mine, and lean across her lap, bringing the tray to rest across her thighs. "Dig in," I say, snuggling against her back and playing with the frayed hem of her boxers while she eats, uttering sounds of pleasure as she stuffs her face with all of the sugary goodness. She turns around to press her lips to mine and I burst into giggles before she can. She looks ridiculously adorable, her mouth covered with pink frosting and she's pulling off a fantastic milk mustache.

"What?" She pouts, giving me puppy dog eyes and I wipe a smudge of frosting off the corner of her lips while swiping my phone from the nightstand to take a quick snapshot. "Say cheese!" I tell her, pressing the shutter and immediately setting it as my new wallpaper, like I need an excuse to stare at my phone even more.

"You're not supposed to tease the birthday girl." Tegan begins to whine, turning back around and licking a bit of frosting off her finger after wiping it across the plate.

"But you love being teased..." I counter, tickling her sides until she gives in, forgiving me. It doesn't take much effort. I can play Tegan like a fiddle. She sticks her tongue out at me after recovering from her laughing bit and downs the last of her milk. I crawl out from behind her and sit facing her, my legs crossed, and pick up the small jewelry box resting on the tray. I hold it out for her and she smiles bashfully, running her fingers along the ridges, startled in disbelief. It feels like an eternity before she lifts the cover off, letting her jaw fall into her lap, rendering her completely speechless. With trembling fingers, they curl around the custom made silver charm bracelet. It wasn't my original choice but I figure it's a safer bet than a diamond necklace or an engagement ring, even if it did cost nearly as much.

"Oh. . . Sara. . I. . . you. . " Tegan struggles to find the words, and she carefully lifts the bracelet to eye level, becoming hypnotized by the detailed charms.

I've got the biggest smile on my face and I squeeze Tegan's knee. I think getting to see her stunned reaction was actually the real gift, not the bracelet or even the surprise that's waiting for her in the envelope. Tegan continues to finger each charm, checking out their intricacy. Most of them are Florence and The Machine related, including a small square, set with a tiny diamond and the lyrics You've Got The Love engraved on it. The center charm is an anatomical heart that opens up to reveal both of our initials. It might be kind of cheesy but Tegan and I are both suckers for these kinds of things. It was too easy to shop for her because I knew if I loved it, then she would too.

"Oh. . . Sara, this is _gorgeous_. You didn't have to. You really didn't have to." Tegan bites her lip, holding back the sob but she's not so lucky with her tears, one falls from each eye and trickles slowly down her sharp cheekbones. She swallows and then nods, smiling weakly. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you." I push her bangs off her forehead and kiss her there, helping her clasp the bracelet around her wrist all the while she's desperate not to blink, too busy staring at the jewelry with mesmerization. After that look, I know I'll be getting very lucky tonight, and in a few seconds, even luckier. Tegan reaches for the white envelope and peeks up at me, asking for permission to open it. I nod, taking a deep breath. The gift in the envelope benefits both of us and I prepare myself for the scream, after warning Tegan.

"Try not to scream too loud."

Tegan raises a curious, excited eyebrow and wastes no time in ripping the envelope open. She eyes the card, taking in the cute illustrated versions of us eating cake rather suggestively together. She laughs contagiously, asking, "Emy?"

"Of course," I giggle, recalling all the begging I had to do to get Emy to draw it.

Two small strips of paper, long and rectangular, fall into Tegan's lap when she opens the card. She picks them up and my heart drops into my stomach. Her eyes bug out, reading what the tickets are for and astonishment is written all over her face. I've never been so happy to see that expression before.

"Are you serious?! _Tonight_?!" Tegan squeals, waving the tickets around excitedly.

I nod, just as excited, and mentally pat myself on the back. When I saw the flyer hanging up at work a month ago I couldn't believe it. Florence and The Machine would be performing September Nineteenth at the Commodore Ballroom. Tegan's birthday. It was like the stars had aligned for me or some shit. It couldn't have turned out more perfect. Tegan throws her arms around me, enveloping me, and we tumble off the bed in a mess of limbs. She takes my face in her hands, kissing me all over and muttering "Thank you," over and over and over. I rub my hands along her back, mumbling "You're welcome," and flip us over, putting me on top. I look down into Tegan's eyes. She's never looked so happy before.

"So you like it, yeah?" I smile knowingly.

"Best birthday ever." She nods, flashing me that gummy grin.

"Let me make it a just a little bit better?" I ask politely, hopping to my feet.

** Tegan's POV**

Sara excuses herself for a short moment and I sit on the floor, bouncing impatiently. She calls out my name a second later and I scramble to the bathroom door, waiting for her to open it. The door knob turns and I'm pulled in through a crack just big enough to fit me and my eyes have to adjust to the low lighting, flickering orange across the walls. My breath catches in my throat. Candles everywhere, they light a small path to the clawfoot tub, filled with steamy water and bubbles. The warm smell of vanilla and cinnamon makes me more lightheaded than I already am from this perfect morning and my perfect Sara. I know I'm already beyond spoiled but a girl could get used to this very quickly.

I glance to Sara, realizing she's been nude this entire time. I smile, shamelessly eyeing her petite, slender figure. She looks at me seductively, smirking, and runs her hands up and down her front. I bite my lip and she steps forward, gently stripping me of my pajamas. She takes my hand and helps me into the tub, making sure I don't slip and fall. The water burns a bit, but it feels good. Sara slides in behind me, her legs resting on either side of mine, and pulls me back into her, letting me rest against her chest and stomach. I rest my head on her shoulder and sigh, letting myself totally relax.

Quietly, Sara starts singing Happy Birthday to me. Lost in the sound of her sweet voice, and her nails on one hand trailing along my arm and her other twirling damp locks of my hair, I run my hands along the underside of her thighs and kiss her neck, enjoying being with Sara so intimately. Her voice starts to lull me to sleep and I feel myself nodding off, my head falling forward every few seconds then jolting me awake, but a small jolt of pleasure right to my core has me wide awake in an instant. Sara's hands are like snipers, invisible and sneaking up on their target without me even noticing. Her left hand cups my breast, thumb grazing over my nipple until it's painfully hard. The fingers on her right hand trail excruciatingly slow down my stomach until her palm is resting on my mound, and her fingers tap my swelling folds teasingly. I'm not used to such gentle intensity so early in the morning and my breath catches in my throat, stopping all flow of oxygen. My eyes, weakened by lust, flutter shut and I can picture Sara's face, taken over by a Cheshire Cat like grin, her sly smile creeping up as she plays in what she does to me. I give in, surrendering to her, and with precise aim, she pulls the trigger.

My knuckles turn as white as the porcelain tub I have a death grip on and I struggle not to slosh all the water over the edge, unable to keep still from Sara's slim digit teasing my entrance, going no further than an inch inside of me. It's pure torture, making me groan in frustration, and I subtly try to rock my hips forward, hoping to swallow more of her finger. Sara catches on quickly but doesn't try to stop my impatient need for pleasure, instead hugging me closer and giving my neglected breast some much needed attention. She full on gropes me, squeezing the handful of soft flesh and circles her finger around my nipple endlessly. There's so much blood rushing to the hardened buds, it's almost painful, and feeling Sara's stiffen against my back ins't helping my arousal or need for release.

Feeling like I'm going to die if Sara doesn't do anything soon, I drop my hand into the water and slide it down her arm, wrapping my fingers around her wrist and squeezing just enough for her to feel it. She knows without me telling her that I love the way she fucked me at Steamies. I mean I squirted. That's pretty much the epitome of my pussy screaming, "Yes! I love you! Don't you dare stop!" That's what Sara explained it as anyway while I was recuperating, sitting on the counter and munching on a left over cookie while she mopped the floor again. That is I how I want it to be always, to be completely filled by Sara, be it with her fingers, tongue, or Philip, as she so weirdly named the toy when she was packing him back up.

"Philip?" I had asked, raising my eyebrow in confusion while I zipped my hoodie.

"Yup. He's my little buddy. We both live to please you." Sara looked up at me from her crouched position, flashing me a toothy grin.

I could only shake my head. That's all I really can do when Sara is being weird. But now I'm glad it's just us. I've learned that I'm a pretty simple girl since Sara and I took our relationship all the way. Sara likes to experiment and getting me to try new things, which has been pretty great so far and I'm not complaining one bit, but being in the water with her like this is just really nice.

I focus solely on Sara's touch, her finger getting deeper by the second until she's slowly circling the small spongey patch within me. I involuntarily twitch forward, releasing a deep moan, and coat Sara's fingers impossibly. The wetness between my folds feels endless. I've never been so drenched before and I'm thankful we're underwater so Sara, who's pulling out of me excruciatingly slow, can't hear it. My moan drags out until I'm empty and Sara just swirls two fingers at my entrance, playing in my juices, and sliding them up to my poorly neglected clit that's just begging to be touched. I jerk forward, harder than last time, and Sara continues to lightly pinch the swollen nerves, pink with want.

"You like that, Tee?" Sara chuckles smugly, straightening her fingers and pressing them flat against my spread pussy.

I groan, turning my head lazily, and suck Sara's bottom lip between my teeth and bite, pulling back. I nibble on it a bit before releasing her with a snap and place my hand on top of hers, forcing her to move in wide, sluggish circles around my clit. Sara growls, irritated to have her control taken away but it's my day and I'll get what I want.

"_Shit, right there_." I bite my lip to keep from crying out and continue grinding against Sara's fingers.

Sara, not one to do a job half-assed, dips back down, gathering more of my excitement, and slides back up all in one solid movement. Using all of her fingers flat against me, Sara moves in wide circles now, crazily fast. I can't force the moans behind my sealed lips any longer and my brain feels like it's short-circuiting, fizzling into nothing. I become nothing but a ball of absolute ecstasy, going into spasms and splashing water over the sides of the tub and replace it with my come, pouring out of me.

**Sara's POV**

I wrap my arms around Tegan, holding her steady. Her thighs tremble on top of mine and I can feel her drip down onto my leg, working it's way between my thighs. There aren't many things in life that feel better than that and I have to I fight to keep my hand from dipping lower into my own juices until I'm a limp, soaked mess like Tegan. Instead my hand finds its way back to her hair where I tangle my fingers, gently massaging her scalp, waiting for her wheezing to return to normal breaths, and she tries to lift her head from my shoulder, panting, "I don't think I can move."

"Well it's a good thing you don't have practice tonight then, huh?"

"So good." Tegan hums, curling her body into me and holding me at the waist.

I chuckle, kissing the top of her head, and drag my nails delicately down her back. I could get used to doing this daily. My dream for Tegan and her hockey career is that she makes it as big as possible, if only so we can retire early and spend the rest of our days always at each other's side, spoiling and love the other until we continue the journey in death.

The water eventually gets cold and I sit up, bringing Tegan with me, and I drain the water from the tub. I help Tegan out and then follow, making sure neither of us slip on the spilled water from Tegan's orgasm and throw a towel down, soaking it up until I can clean it up later when Tegan is in class. I take us over to the shower, set into the wall with emerald colored tiles, and turn the knobs, finding the perfect temperature. The water runs for a while and I'm so glad that water is included in our rent otherwise our water bill would be through the roof. In other words, Tegan and I like shower sex. A lot.

"I don't think I can go again, Sare." Tegan slumps against the shower wall, letting water drops cascade down her exhausted body.

"I know, just relax." I giggle, grabbing Tegan's shampoo bottle from the caddy, squirting a bit into my palm. I take my time washing her hair and her body while she rinses her hair then kindly returns the favor, scrubbing me clean.

I turn the shower head off and wrap Tegan in a fluffy towel, as well as myself, and we lounge around in bed, being immature and wrestling around, stealing kisses to each other's lips whenever we can until Tegan has to leave for class. She goes to get dressed and her backpack ready, grumbling the entire way to our closet and back into the bathroom. I head to the kitchen and pack her a small lunch, then we walk hand in hand to the science building and kiss her goodbye. She quickly gets swallowed up by the other students and I pull my phone from my pocket, checking the time. There's still another three hours until she gets done with class and six until the concert. I have the entire day off so there's not much to do but wait. I pause on the sidewalk and take a look around, figuring I could stand to explore and take a walk in the park. Tegan and I have yet to find a new spot.

**Tegan's POV**

Have I mentioned before that time seems to slow to a crawl whenever you know something so good is going to happen to you soon? Class was pure torture, which felt strange because Psychology is usually my favorite class, but today it couldn't have been more dry and pointless. The moment the minute hand met the hour hand I was out the door, running home as fast as I can with my heavy backpack bouncing along behind me.

Only three minutes have passed since and I'm already only a block away from the apartment and still going strong. I think that's a new record. I crash through our front door, ready to call out Sara's name like I usually do, but she's right there, sitting on the couch, my guitar propped up in her lap and her laptop open before her which she's staring at intensely, a green pick sticking out between her teeth. I drop my backpack by the door and smile, thinking about how cute she is when she does that.

I plop down by her side and throw my arm around her shoulder, leaning into her and giving her cheek a kiss. Sara smiles, letting the pick fall from her mouth and closes her laptop before turning to me, asking, "How was class?"

"Boring," I sigh, then a small grin starts to creep up and my eyes threaten to gloss over. "I couldn't stop thinking about tonight. . . or this morning."

Sara nods, giving me a knowing smile that reaches her eyes, and her lips are at my ear, whispering vague details about how she's taking me to an intimate dinner before the show and that we should get ready so we get a good spot in the front of the line. She wants us to be right at the rail, dancing inappropriately close because the people behind us will be pushing to get the view we'll have. I shudder involuntarily, her breath tickling me, and squeeze her knee. Sara pulls me from the couch and I follow her to our bedroom to pick out our outfits in a dreamy haze.

**Sara's POV**

I somehow manage to convince Tegan to wear these cute black leggings I bought about a month ago. She shimmies into them and they cling to her skin so desperately that I'm actually jealous. I toss a sheer black and white polka dot button up at her and slip into a pair of skinny jeans and ragged t-shirt myself, grab keys, the tickets, another surprise for Tegan and everything else we'll need for the night and pull Tegan out the door behind me.

We call a cab to take us downtown and we wonder around, block after block, just holding hands and taking it all in. I spot the romantic, quaint restaurant on the corner up ahead and pull Tegan inside. We enjoy the night, taking in the intimate low lighting, the deep shades of red and black, and the delicious meal have. To top it off, we share a piece of chocolatey dessert for Tegan's birthday, and after I pick up the bill, I once again pull Tegan out the door behind me.

The venue is only a few blocks away and we follow a small gathering crowd right into the line. We're about twentieth in line. The doors open in fifteen minutes. I pull Tegan's back into my front and snake my arms around her shoulders, hugging her neck, and whisper sweet nothings into her ear until we're finally let through the door.

Tegan heads straight to the floor, finding us a good spot in front, and I go buy us a water bottle from the concession, meeting back up with her after a few minutes. I stand with my arm around her shoulder, her hand in my back pocket, and I stare at her, waiting for her to say something because she's just standing there, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes looking at me in complete. . . something. I'm not sure if there's even a word for it, it's something beyond love, and it's so good. It makes me feel on top of the world. I feel myself smiling as wide as I can before she's whispering "I love you."

"I love you too, Tegan." I say, pressing my lips to hers, and then harder, moving them against hers until someone bumps into my shoulder and I remember we're not alone. I pull away and take up the same position I had behind her when we were waiting in line, swaying to the music playing in the background, and then we sway harder, the opener performing upbeat electronic music by himself and completely rocking it. Then the moment we've finally been wait for comes. Florence and The Machine's opening music starts to play and move my arms around Tegan's stomach, linking my fingers together right below her belly button. Her hands come to rest on mine, squeezing them and she looks over her shoulder, smiling excitedly.

I smile back and then my stomach drops, the lights going down until there's just one spotlight on the stage. The intro of Only If For A Night starts and the crowd goes wild. I'm pushed closer to Tegan, the crowd behind me pushing to get closer to the stage and then the screams are deafening and we see her, Florence walking out in an elegant, form-fitting gown up to the microphone. She stands still for a few seconds, taking in the crowd and smiling everyone, then just lays into it, belting out my favorite song.

I feel frozen, completely numb to everything but my arms around Tegan and the music surrounding me. I'm dead sober but my senses are in overdrive. I've never felt such an incredible high before. I can feel Tegan's pulse beating against my fingertips and know she's on exactly the same level as I am. I kiss the back of her head, losing myself in my surroundings, only surfacing when Tegan's body shakes against me, her favorite song coming up next.

"This next song.. and I see one pretty girl already has the right idea. I want to see some girls on shoulders. If you're with a lady and you like her or if you love her it is time to raise her up_. . . One. . . Two. . . Three. . . Four. . ._ We have some strong gentlemen in the house_. . . Five. . . Six. . . Seven. . . Eight. . . Nine. . . Ten. . ._ You all look beautiful. Ladies, this one is for you. It is called Rabbit Heart!" Florence calls out to the audience in her soft British accent, counting the people as they're raised up in honor of love.

I look to either side of me, girls on shoulders everywhere and I look back to Tegan. She's nodding and smiling, patting her shoulder. I quickly give her a sloppy kiss and hoist myself onto her shoulders, feeling safe only when Tegan wraps her arms around my calves. She rocks cautiously to the song, not wanting me to fall and I sing along at the top of my lungs, knowing Tegan is too. I feel like I'm about to lose my voice when my feet are planted on the ground again and I'm hanging onto Tegan, not believing any of this is real. I bob my head with my eyes closed, waiting for her most popular song to be next on the setlist.

The familiar pattern of plucks coming from the harp start and I smirk to myself, digging into my front pocket and wrapping my fingers around the small silver vibrator I picked up a week ago. I keep it down, hidden below my waist and blindly feel around for the on button and then it's suddenly vibrating in my hand and I almost drop it to the floor. I wrap my fingers around it tighter and slip my hand back around Tegan's stomach and rest my palm flat against her mound, the vibrator trapped underneath it. I rest my chin on Tegan's shoulder and watch her eyes bug out, startled by the foreign sensation.

**Tegan's POV**

I feel a weird vibrating on my lower stomach and freeze, hesitantly looking down and barely being able to make out Sara's hand in the darkness, cupping me with something in her hand. I try to recall what it could possibly be. We've never had anything that vibrated before. Then I remember the small silver bullet looking thing Sara grabbed at the last second last week in the toy store. _Oh God_.

Sara's hand lowers just a few inches and I feel her front press further into my back. She pulses the toy with the beat of the song right over my clit and knowing that there are people pressed right up next to me on either side has me soaking my panties in seconds. My brain can't think of anything sexier than Sara fucking me in a crowd full so many people, knowing that no one even has the slightest clue that I'm going to be wanting to scream at the top of my lungs in minutes. I zone in on Florence, trying to focus on taking in her beauty and that powerful set of lungs, belting out the chorus while Sara does as she pleases.

_The dog days are over. . . The dog days are done. . . The horses are coming, so you better run. . . _

"_Fuck_," I hiss under my breath, struggling to stand with trembling thighs slowly going numb. Sara's completely groping me, gripping me tightly in her palm, and I'm completely trapped. I have no choice but to ride it out. Literally. I grab the railing in front of me tightly and clench my eyes shut, nodding my head to the tempo and start rocking along with it, grinding my ass into Sara's crotch each time I roll back. Her hot breath soon finds its way against my cheek and I peek my eyes open, watching Florence dance and twirl around the stage like a wild faerie and it's contagious. I want to move like that. So free. I keep my hands on the railing, afraid I'll fall if I let go, but sway my hips side to side and then in circles, letting Sara move _everywhere_ but then it becomes too much too soon. I rise to my tip toes in a desperate attempt to get away from the pleasure, knowing I'm nearing the edge and not wanting it to come quite so soon but Sara just follows my body, never letting up, and then it's game over. I finish just as the song comes to an end and the audience explodes in cheers and applause and I cry out loud in a euphoria of a different kind right along with them.

The rest of the show passes in a blissful daze. Sara's turned the vibrator off but her hand is still all over me, rubbing lazily. Before I know it, the band is leaving the stage then returning, only to leave again after a short encore. The lights are turned on and people are drunkenly finding their way out. I finally turn around, waiting for the crowd to clear out a bit, and lean against the rail, looking at Sara.

**Sara's POV**

Yeah, Tegan definitely looks like she just got fucked. She looks so out of it with hooded eyelids, her darkened pupils staring deep within me and her slick hair stuck all around her neck and cheeks. I shudder and step into her arms, slipping my hands to her back and rubbing circles with the pads of my thumbs over her sweaty shirt.

She gives me that gummy grin and then giggles, covering her mouth in complete hysterics over the day she just had. I chuckle, admiring how cute she looks and wait for her to regain her composure. Eventually she does and then she kisses me. Grabs my face and pulls me right into her, sucking my lip between hers. I melt in her arms, a puddle of everything gooey and lovey-dovey and then Tegan takes it away, easing back and fluttering her eyes open to gaze at me with a small smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.

I look around, finding that we're almost the only ones left on the floor and glance back to Tegan, asking with a smile, "What do you want to do now?"

Tegan blushes, an answer already in mind, and tucks her hair behind her ear timidly. She takes my hand in hers, leading us towards the exit and pushing the door open with her hip, whispers in my ear, "I want to go home and thank you for today."


	34. A Haunted House and Brownies

**Tegan's POV**

I've never suffered from any claustrophobic related attacks but I'm sure I'm about to at any second. Everything is pitch black, I'm being squished by walls on either side of me, and my ears are in overdrive, ringing annoyingly, trying to hear any bit of sound other than the sound of my breathing and the deep, shaky breaths right behind my head. If it weren't for Sara's hand practically crushing mine to pieces right now, I'd be on the floor, hugging my knees and whimpering for help. But Sara's here, right behind me, and I know I'm safe. If I just take a few more steps forward, it will all be over.

Light. Though a poor excuse for it, and I have to squint to make out my shadowed surroundings. Grass, wetness, trees, grasshoppers chirping and frogs croaking. I'm outside, in the woods. _No_, I tell myself, _I'm inside. In a warehouse. It's Halloween and I'm dressed ridiculously like Bleeker from the movie Juno, and Sara is dressed adorably as Juno, minus the whole baby thing. We're at a Haunted House and Sara is right here, breathing down my neck. As long as she's right here, I'm safe._

"Tee, I don't like this very much." Sara's voice, just above a trembling whisper, tickles the hair on the back of my neck and sends an unwanted shiver down my spine. I feel guilty for bringing her here. We thought it was best to decline Lindsey's invitation to a frat party so I told Sara I would find something for us to do. Turns out being scared to death isn't a hobby of ours but we can't go back. It was the point of no return once we handed our tickets over to the zombie usher.

I find Sara's other hand in the darkness and squeeze as hard as I can, bravely leading us through the remaining stretch of woods. We duck under some type of fake camouflage netting and enter a room that smells like mothballs. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls, landing in strips on the floor, and antiques clutter the shelves and coffee table. A steaming cup of tea rests near a book on an end table and the chair creaks from it rocking slowly. I proceed with caution, knowing there's going to be someone sitting in the chair, just waiting to spot me so they can jump in my face.

One more step and I peek over the back of the chair from a few feet away. It's empty. My heart stops racing at a million miles a minute and I let out a sigh of relief. I try not to focus on the fact that the chair is moving on its own for the sake of my own sanity. Only a few feet remain of the room before it exits into a hall, glowing with an intense red light, and I pick up my pace.

"Tegan, wait!" Sara shrieks all of a sudden, quickly wrapping her arms around my waist, but it's too late. The cherry armoire in the corner I hadn't noticed earlier slams open and a crazy old woman dressed in a bloody muumuu is in my face, cackling and staring right into my soul with crazy eyes and I scream bloody murder, wanting to cry.

**Sara's POV**

I start rubbing circles on Tegan's tummy to try to ease her nerves but I'm just as scared. I don't take my eyes off the crazy grandma until she's behind us, and even then I'm glancing over my shoulder every few seconds until we enter the hallway, safe – for now.

I hate things like this but I was embarrassed to tell Tegan they terrify me and reluctantly agreed to go. I know deep down that it is all just a show, that I'm _supposed _to be scared but holy _shit_. Then, something scurries across my sneakers. There's a hiss behind me. A groan to my right. _Holy shit holy shit holy shit_.

At some point, my rapid heart beat is the only sound I can hear and everything is shrouded in darkness from my eyes clamping shut and then fifteen minutes have passed and the only thing keeping me here is having Tegan's shirt wrapped around my tight fists. I can smell her and feel her. I'm _safe_. But then my heart is in my stomach and I just know I'm as white as some of the ghouls running around. The shrill circus music is like nails on a chalkboard, making my skin crawl and the maniacal laughter that comes a second later is enough to earn me a room in a psych ward.

Clowns. I don't know if it's something I've ever shared but I despise clowns. Absolutely, utterly hate them. Nothing is fun or happy about them and the people who dress as them tend to be downright creepy. It goes quiet for a moment and there's light behind my eyelids and I think maybe, just _maybe_ it's safe and it was just a cruel, final scare. I crack one eye open, peeking at the back of Tegan's head and then I open my other eye and turn my head slightly, not even fully registering what's in front of me until after I'm screaming at the top of my lungs.

**Tegan's POV**

Sara's scream makes me want to die of heartbreak. _God_. It's so much worse than a scared, startled scream. This is gut-wrenching, making me want to break down in sobs. I've never heard such a painful sound. Sara's fucking _traumatized_.

I react as quickly as I can, whipping around and sliding my body between the clown laughing in her face with its bloody make-up, sweating it into distorted droops. Talk about fucking freaky. Sara's eye lose their gloss and she looks at me, instantaneously latching onto me like the strongest magnet in existence the moment she recognizes it's me.

"Tee. . ." Sara snivels, hanging onto me like a koala, her legs wrapped around my waist and her head buried in the crook of my neck. I'm a bit speechless. Sara's never acted like this before, but I don't have time to think about it. I turn around, one hand under Sara's bum and the other rubbing circles across the small of her back and book it towards the exit up ahead, staring daggers at any of the other clowns trying to do their job. An usher quickly opens the door for me and I walk into a brightly lit room, surrounded by people and tables covered with souvenirs, drinks, and snacks.

"You're safe." I whisper softly into Sara's ear.

She cautiously gets back to her feet and stares at the grimy floor, cheeks red in shame. She seems so small. It's a bit unnerving. I want, no, I _need_ to comfort her but I'm not exactly sure how to. She keeps her arms at her sides when I pull her into a hug, and I look over her shoulder, trying to see if there's anything I can get her that might make her feel better.

"Stay right here, okay? I'll be right back." I kiss her forehead and go pick out a few things. Returning a minute later with a to-go carrier of steaming hot chocolate and caramel apples and a small plush skeleton resting in the pocket of my gym shorts, I take Sara's hand and lead her out the doors, never, ever to return again.

We find ourselves at a small park on top of a hill that overlooks a rich neighborhood, filled with children and parents out trick-or-treating. Neither of us said a word on the walk here, and now Sara silently sips from her styrofoam cup, both her hands cradling it to find some bit of warmth. I unwrap a caramel apple and pass it over to Sara, smiling her thanks and shyly taking a bite. I nibble on the caramel and nuts of my own apple, waiting for Sara to explain what that was all about.

"When I was seven," Sara begins quietly, staring out at the houses and swinging her legs that are too short to reach the ground. "My grandma took Casey and me to this huge maze made out of hay on Halloween. Casey and I went in while Grandma waited outside – she couldn't walk too good then – but Casey ditched me for her friends and I got lost. I just wandered around for what felt like years trying to find my way out but I got tired and it was so dark by then. I was terrified and I just laid down at a dead end, crying and waiting for someone to find me. At some point I fell asleep and when I woke up, there were two clowns hovering over me. One was shining a flashlight on me and the other had his face lit up right under his chin. It was a living nightmare and I'm surprised I didn't wet myself, honestly. They just wanted to help but I was so scared, I would wail every time they tried to. So, they had to knock a path of hey down so Grandma could get through and come get me. It was terrible, Tee. I stayed at her house for a week sleeping in her bed because I didn't want to go home and not be safe. I guess I never got over it," she shrugs, peeking at me through her eyelashes.

"Remind me to kick Casey's butt for ditching you next time we see her." I attempt a smile to make Sara laugh and feel better even though all I want to do is cradle her in my arms. But Sara isn't the one that likes to be babied.

"That's alright." Sara chuckles, resting her head on my shoulder. "I was a little shit so I probably deserved it."

I take Sara's hand, sticky from her apple, and hold it in my lap. "Don't say that. I don't care what you did, you didn't deserve it. And you don't have to be afraid of the clowns, Sare. I'll protect you from everything as long as you're with me, no matter what. I hope you know that."

"I know, Baby. I always feel safe with you but no more haunted houses, okay?" Sara says, kissing me on the cheek and I nod, agreeing.

"I guess I'm pretty bad at planning dates, huh?" I ask, standing up and pulling Sara along with me down the hill.

"The worst." Sara flashes me a toothy grin and yanks on my hand, speeding down the hill with me flying behind her, trying to keep up. We reach the bottom, our hands on our knees as we struggle to catch our breaths while laughing a bit too obnoxiously.

"Do you want to grab a pizza and some movies on our way home?" I ask, straightening out my gold headband.

"Now that sounds like a perfect date." Sara smiles.

"Be prepared to get snuggled all night long." I beam, wrapping my arms around Sara's middle and walking behind her to my truck parked on some random side street. I hold Sara's door open and she hops in, cranking the stereo.

At home, Sara goes to our room to set her laptop up with a movie. I don't know why we don't own a TV yet, but Sara insists we don't need one. I kind of disagree but since she lives here all the time, unlike me, that makes her boss and what she says goes.

I head to the kitchen with pizza in tow, where luckily we own dishes and utensils, and dish Sara and I plates with heaps of pieces. It's a holiday so I figure that means I can indulge just a little. I grab two sodas from the fridge and balance everything in my arms, making my way to our bedroom.

Sara's already made herself comfortable, sporting her pajamas and hugging a pillow to her chest, sprawled out on her side of the bed. I smile, setting our drinks down on Sara's nightstand and offer her a plate.

"Is there something in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" She asks, taking a bite of her pizza and pointing to my shorts.

"Huh?" I cock my head to the side, confused, and follow her finger south. "Oh. Oh!"

I forgot about the little plushie I bought. I set my food on my nightstand and plop down on the bed, pulling the little skeleton out of my pocket. "I got you this, to make you feel better. He's not so scary, is he?" I smile shyly, holding the skeleton out to her.

"Oh, Tee." Sara laughs, taking the plushie and giving it a little squeeze. "He's not scary at all. In fact he's cute and perfect, just like my girlfriend."

"Huh, she sounds pretty amazing." I smile, nestling in next to Sara and taking a bite of my pizza.

She starts the movie, some newly released comedy, and it's such a relief compared to the scares we had earlier, though I do admit that a small part of me liked being able to care for Sara in the way I had. She doesn't let her guard down often, especially in public, and it was refreshing to see her like that. Halfway through the movie I start feeling a bit sleepy and Sara pulls me into her arms the second she hears me start to yawn. I snuggle in, holding her waist while she plays with my hair but the comfort is short lived. I pull away and reach for my ringing phone from the nightstand, seeing Emy's familiar face flash across the screen. I answer quietly and excuse myself from the room, only to return a minute later.

"Emy's coming over. I hope that's okay." I say, flicking the light back on.

"Yeah, of course," Sara says.

Emy shows up not ten minutes later, decked out in her costume, ranting about how awful the party she went to was. We go back to hanging out on the bed, the movie still playing in the background, and Sara and I listen to Emy politely, throwing in comments whenever needed, and then I share about how our day went.

** Sara's POV**

I excuse myself to the bathroom, letting Tegan tell a hopefully slightly altered version of how today went. When I return, both of them are stuffing their faces with brownies, laughing about something. I don't even ask where the brownies magically appeared from but definitely don't deny one when Emy offers. She hands one over, wrapped in saran wrap, and I take a bite. As I slowly chew it, something definitely tastes off. I smell it, take another bite, finish it off, then start laughing.

"You know those were pot brownies, right?" I ask, looking between Tegan and Emy.

Tegan just kind of smiles, not bothered by the news, but Emy's eyes go wide, threatening to pop out of her eye sockets.

"What?! Oh my God. Oh God. I didn't know! Holy shit," she freaks out, apologizing endlessly to both of us and pacing around the room. She grabs at her hair, taking deep breaths. Tegan and I giggle at her, getting comfortable again on the bed. It's been so long since Tegan and I have been high, and it's just the perfect thing to end this sort-of weird day.

"You might want to calm down before that kicks in." I say, taking a sip of my soda.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Emy mutters hurriedly, closing herself inside the bathroom.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Tegan asks, concerned.

"Yeah, once she feels it she'll be just fine. _You_ on the other hand..." I trail off, gripping Tegan's face in my hands. She stares back at me and I smirk, having so many ideas on my mind. I really hope the person who made those brownies used some potent weed because a high Tegan is my favorite Tegan. She can tell what I'm thinking and a small blush paints her cheeks. I waste no time in straddling her lap and running my fingers through her long hair, kissing her slowly and deeply.

"I thought I told you guys to invite me next time." Emy says, returning from the bathroom.

I continue to kiss Tegan, feeling a bit light-headed already. Yeah, this is some good ass weed. I wave Emy over, my lips still attached to Tegan's and my eyes shut. A second later, the weight from her body bounces the mattress and I kiss up to Tegan's ear, whispering, "I love you. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, just say the word and it's done, okay?"

Tegan gulps, nodding. There's a small hint of hesitancy in her eyes, but nothing that I can see that would alert me to not say what she knows I'm about to. I look at Emy and Tegan glances between the both of us. She creeps her hand up my shirt to be connected with me and I quickly give her a peck on the cheek.

"Emy," I say, reaching out for her hand and pulling her close. "Kiss Tegan."


	35. Weird and Hot

**Tegan's POV**

My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. I can feel both Sara and Emy's breath on me and they're both looking at me. Emy's closer, her lips hovering just inches above mine. She's waiting for me to close some of the distance and I glance over to Sara. Her expression is unreadable but I remind myself that this is something we've talked about. "_It doesn't mean anything. It's just fun_," Sara had said to me the morning after she gave me that mind-blowing massage and Emy had checked me out, all the while flirting with Sara. Needless to say, I was in a slight state of panic, especially after everything with Stacy, and it was a rough night of trying to sleep with all of us in the cramped dorm room. The next morning didn't start off much better and Sara knew what was up the second she looked at me after unwrapping her arms from around me. It was an awkward breakfast in the campus cafeteria talking about Emy and the possibility of a threesome. Sara assured me more times than I could count that it had nothing to do with Emy specifically, but that bringing someone else into our bed one night was on a sort of mental sexual conquest checklist she kept in the back of her mind. If something were to ever happen, Emy or not, there would be no strings attached. Strictly physical.

Being typical me, I was a bit hesitant and a little freaked out at first but I slowly came around to the idea of it. Sara would still be there and nothing had to happen that I didn't want. It could basically be just like having Sara there but instead of her having two hands, she would have four. That sounded pretty alright to me.

Emy moves in another inch and my sweaty hand clings to the small of Sara's back, under her shirt, and I force myself to look away from her and into Emy's eyes. There's a part of me that feels like the girl in her parent's pool, experiencing the forbidden kiss with another girl, but as Emy presses her lips to mine, there are no butterflies fluttering in my stomach like with Sara. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, and Emy knows what she's doing, but our lips don't quite fit like mine and Sara's do.

When I feel her tongue graze my bottom lip, I let her in and my eyes slowly close, letting myself fall into the simple rhythm.

** Sara's POV**

Weird, but hot. That's what it's like seeing Emy kiss Tegan. Weird because my girlfriend is kissing someone that isn't me and hot because I can actually see what Tegan looks like when kissing. Her jaw, her lips, her tongue. . . the way they move, it's just all so. . .

Well, I just want to point out that I have one fucking hot girlfriend.

I place my hand between Emy's shoulder blades and she pulls away but stays close. Tegan inhales deeply but she keeps her eyes shut, waiting for the next move. I lean in, kissing her deeply, and the moment I do she knows it's me. Her lips pull away slightly from mine to form a small smile and her hand slowly tangles itself in my hair. She tastes faintly of cherry chapstick and I remember we're not alone.

I search for Emy's hand and place it on Tegan's lower stomach. With my hand resting on top of hers, I slowly guide it under Tegan's shirt, revealing her toned stomach. I hear her breath catch in her throat and her palm and fingertips explore Tegan's smooth skin. Tegan reluctantly pulls away, out of breath, her chest heaving, and although her eyes look like they're going to droop shut any second she doesn't look away for even a second when Emy and I start to kiss just inches from her face while continuing to feel her up.

I pull her bra to the side and take her breast into my hand, running my thumb over her nipple, stiffening it in seconds. Emy does the same. Tegan starts to do her usual whining when being teased and I smile against Emy's lips. She starts to laugh and we move to placing open-mouthed kisses on Tegan's stomach and chest. I start to kiss up along her collar bone and up to her neck, leaving a bruise for her to find in the morning. She groans, writhing around, and I move up to kiss her into silence.

After a few minutes Emy starts to shift, kneeling over Tegan and placing one leg between mine and the other in between Tegan's. She pushes on my chest and I fall onto my back with a small gasp. I feel my dominance being threatened and I start to rise back to my elbows but Emy pushes down firmly on my chest again. I fall back to the bed, giving her a pointed look. I don't mind, and sometimes even love, bottoming for Tegan, but doing it for someone else just doesn't sit well with me. I feel Tegan's fingers lace with mine and I turn my head. She looks at me with those big brown eyes and I stop struggling, giving in. She needs me here next to her, so I stay, running the pad of my thumb across her knuckles. She smiles at me, her eyes shining, and I can't help but to smile and lean forward to drop a kiss to her shoulder.

Emy bunches my shirt up to just under my bra and runs her fingertips down our stomachs all the way to linger at the starts of our slits for just a moment longer and then caressing back upwards. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, my clit swell, and I have a moment of slight panic of having someone that isn't Tegan do this to me. Tegan moans just then, squashing the panic into nothing. I roll my head to the side, watching the tendons in her neck tighten and bulge as she arches, feeling Emy dip her hand under the waistband of her boxers to rub her smooth slit. She does the same to me and I bite down on my lip, her fingers slippery against my dripping lips.

Her thumbs find our clits and she rubs in small circles. Her fingers spread us and tease our entrances. I feel so high and Tegan's sighs and quiet moans are like the perfect lullaby, sending me off into a sweet bliss. My body is only capable of feeling the numbing pleasure expanding out from my core. My fingers tighten around Tegan's and hers twitch with her pending release. Emy continues to pump into us at a steady rhythm with two fingers, never slowing with her thumbs and their tight circles.

"That feels so good, Em." I let out the moans I can't hold back any longer, spewing them out along with Tegan's.

"Are you gonna come at the same time?" Emy asks, her voice surprisingly husky, and it sends a burst of pleasure right to my center.

Tegan nods furiously, ready to give Emy anything to be sent over the edge.

I hear Emy whisper, "Fuck", and curl her fingers upwards, hitting our sweet spots.

I can tell by the wheeze in her breath that Tegan's close and I roll my hips into Emy's fingers, sending me over just as Tegan starts to fall. She cries out, her hand crushing mine, and I throw my head back in a silent scream. I pulse around Emy's fingers and she pulls out a with a slick sound once I stop. Over my heaving chest I watch her pull out of Tegan and she brings her hands to our faces. Tegan's in front of mine and mine in front of Tegan's. I can smell Tegan's sweetness and it makes my mouth water. I lean forward to get a taste but Emy jerks away, keeping her hand just far enough away that I can't reach it and smirks, baring her teeth.

I shoot her a playful glare. She flicks her eyes to Tegan and snickers quietly. I follow, watching her dip her fingers into Tegan's parted, awaiting lips. She licks my juices clean then licks her lips, smiling wide. She turns her head to watch me while I do the same, catching every last drop. I lick my lips when I'm done and then we all take a moment to look at each other before bursting into laughter, letting the high finally get to our heads. After I catch my breath I grab Tegan's hand and slide it up her knee, making us only inches from Emy's stomach.

** Tegan's POV**

I follow Sara's lead. She reaches out for the hem of Emy's shirt so I do too. But Emy pushes us both away, shaking her head with a little smile. "You should only touch each other," she says and then starts yawning.

I let out a sigh of relief. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about having to return the favor. Being touched and having to touch someone else are two completely different things. Sara squeezes my hand gently, letting me know she feels the same, and offers her side of the bed to Emy. "You can sleep in here with us. It's comfier than the couch."

Emy nods, too exhausted to even think about walking back to the dorms, crawls over my legs and falls onto her stomach, her first high completely tuckering her out. She falls asleep quickly and watching her is reminding me just how I tired I am. I start to yawn against Sara's chest, totally spent, but Sara, it seems, isn't.

I know it's cliche, but she really is like the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going and going and going. I can't even finish yawning before Sara's pulling my body on top of her and hooking her ankles around the backs of my knees, trapping me, but as tired as I am, I don't want to roll off of her and succumb to sleep just yet. Sara's not immune to the contagiousness of my yawn but she's quick to smile at me afterwards and her kiss, careful and a bit subdued, has any questionable feelings I might have had about what just happened flying out the window. I quickly calm in her arms and she trails her hands down to my ass and then between my sticky thighs. Her fingers easily find the pool of wetness still left from Emy's fingers and she stirs her finger around, teasing me endlessly.

"I did this right? You only get wet for me?" Sara asks in a low whisper, pressing herself to my entrance, and she looks at me in a way that makes me feel like any vocalization I could give would be absolutely pointless as she could just read my mind and know that of course she's to blame for the mess I've made of myself. It may have been Emy working through my folds but if it weren't for Sara being there, lying next to me with her hand tight around mine, her moans filling the silence, and her eyes staring back at me, I would have never finished as fast as I did, or even at all.

I manage a meager nod against Sara's neck and feel her finger enter me slowly, and then another, and I'm thrown back into the woes of ecstasy even though her fingers are still, resting inside and stretching me. She nudges my cheek with her shoulder and I lazily lift my head, looking at her through hooded eyes. She pulls out slowly, barely an inch, and my stomach clenches against Sara's palm, tickling along my stiff abs.

"I can't keep quiet, Sare." I confess quietly, straining my throat. I shoot Emy a quick glance and know that it's utterly impossible for Sara to fuck me without her waking up. Before I bite my lip hard enough to make it bleed, I shake my head in admission and utter, "You make me want to scream."

Then Sara's smirking at me, one corner of her soft lips pulled up cockily and my jaw drops open in order for the oxygen I desperately need to be let in but it's quickly replaced by two of Sara's fingers clamping down on my tongue, keeping me quiet. Her fingers start to slam into me, forcing me to jerk forward with each pump and there's only the sound of the quiet rhythmic squeak from the bed.

While she fucks me, I can't help myself from stealing glances at Emy. I know it's so wrong but fuck it feels so right. I come twice as fast as what Emy made me and when my body involuntarily locks me in place just as it hits, I'm left with staring right at Emy's closed eyes. I bite down on Sara's fingers hard and force my eyes shut, letting the pleasant numbing sensation take me over.

I collapse onto Sara, squeezing her hand, and breathing hot breath against her neck. She casually plays with my sweaty locks, waiting for my breath to even out with hers.

"We shouldn't have done that," I say after a moment, watching Emy blow wisps of her bangs across her face.

"That's what you said two weeks ago when I had you for a midnight snack in your dorm room." Sara whispers back cockily, tugging at my hair.

"Shhh! You swore you would never bring that up." I hiss, hurriedly covering Sara's mouth with my hand and glaring at her for ever bringing that up.

"C'mon, Tee. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"You're terrible. And you make _me_ terrible!" I whisper, poking her in the chest.

Sara smirks, eyeing me up and down, "You like it."

I can't help but laugh and shake my head. She's completely right. "Terrible," I mutter, yawning again. I barely have time to take one last look at Emy to make sure she's still asleep and to rest my head on Sara's chest, falling into a deep sleep.

When I wake up, it's just Emy and me. She's still fast asleep in the same position she was when Sara and I finally got around to falling asleep. If she were to wake up right now, we'd be face to face, staring into each other's eyes only a foot apart. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that so I roll over and swing my legs over the side of the bed and follow the smell of coffee to Sara.

I find her sitting at our small dining room table, staring off into space with her cup of black coffee steaming in front of her. I fill a mug for myself, if only to have something that reminds me of Sara in my grasp, and lean against the table in front of her.

"Morning, Tee," Sara says, snapping out of her daze. She scoots back from the table and pats her thigh. I oblige, sitting my coffee next to hers and straddle her lap with my hands clasped around her neck. She kisses my bare skin just to the left of my heart and smiles, letting her sleep filled eyes light up.

I smile back and we sit there for a bit in the silence, holding onto and staring at each other. I lean in, kissing her on the lips, and nothing feels different even now that we're sober. I let out a tiny sigh and kiss her again. Looking at Sara, it occurs to me just how in love with her I am. I don't deserve her at all but she treats me like I'm a princess. She knows so well how to make me happy, and for some reason she loves loving me. We don't even have to talk about last night because we just have to look at each other and know that everything is okay. Last night was purely physical and about getting off. Things aren't going to change, and if they do, it'll be for the better. God, I love her so much. It's weird that it took last night to make me fully realize that but I smile wide anyway and take her face into my hands. I look into her eyes and I feel like I see something completely different than what everyone else sees. Something only Sara allows me to see.

"What're you thinking about?" Sara asks, looking at me curiously.

"How happy I am that we're in love." I say.

Sara blushes and I lean in to kiss her again and this time, I don't pull away. Most of our kiss is interrupted by smiles but I love it. After a while I hear a door closing shut and Sara and I part, looking out through the dining room and into the living room. Sara eases me off of her lap, takes a sip of her coffee, and then pulls me into the living room. She looks around, finding nothing out of place, then walks us to the bedroom.

Emy's things are gone from where she dropped them near the dresser last night and she's no longer asleep in our bed. My stomach drops and I look to Sara who looks back to me, concerned. My mood plummeting, I can't help but feel like we may have just made a huge mistake.


End file.
